Professor Park Nam-gyu / Courtesy of Sungkyunkwan University
A solar technology pioneered in Korea has emerged as one of the fastest-growing areas in global energy research, according to new analysis released by Sungkyunkwan University.
The report, co-authored by the university’s chemical engineering department and the analytics firm Clarivate, traces the rise of perovskite solar cells since a pivotal breakthrough in 2012. That year, a team led by professor Park Nam-gyu demonstrated the first solid-state perovskite cell, helping to redirect photovoltaic research by showing the materials could be both stable and efficient.
Perovskite materials have long been seen as a leading successor to silicon, which still dominates the global market. Unlike silicon, which requires energy-intensive, high-temperature processing, perovskites can be manufactured at relatively low temperatures. Their crystalline structure also allows them to be applied to thin, flexible surfaces, opening the way for solar integration into windows, clothing and curved building facades.
The report finds that performance gains have accelerated at a pace rarely seen in materials science, pushing the technology from a laboratory concept toward commercial viability. While durability remains a challenge for standalone perovskite cells, the analysis points to “tandem” designs — which stack perovskite layers atop traditional silicon — as the most immediate route to surpassing current efficiency limits.
To discuss the findings and the path from laboratory to market, Sungkyunkwan University and Clarivate said they will host a global webinar in June aimed at aligning research efforts between domestic labs and international energy developers.
Source: Korea Times News
