Building the future of solar power, one tile at a time
The EU-funded LUMINOSITY(opens in new window) project recently reached a groundbreaking milestone in renewable energy technology. Coordinated by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), this initiative has successfully delivered what is believed to be the world’s first electrically functioning flexible perovskite solar roof tile. The innovation marks a significant leap forward in building-integrated photovoltaics, offering a pathway to the generation of sustainable electricity without compromising architectural aesthetics or taking up additional land.
Efficiency, even on a curve
Traditional solar panels often face limitations regarding their placement and visual integration, particularly in urban environments and heritage sites. The LUMINOSITY project addresses these challenges by developing lightweight, flexible perovskite solar modules that can conform to curved surfaces. Researchers at TNO successfully applied a flexible perovskite solar module onto a curved composite roof tile, achieving an energy efficiency of 12.4 %. Remarkably, individual flexible modules demonstrated efficiencies of up to 13.8 % before being integrated, proving that the bending process required to fit the module to the tile’s shape has only a minimal impact on performance. This confirms the viability of flexible perovskite technology for real-world applications. “To the best of my knowledge, this is the world’s first electrically functioning solar roof tile concept based on flexible perovskite solar cells,” comments Ilker Dogan, Senior Scientist at TNO Solar, in a recent press release(opens in new window). The project’s success extends beyond mere functionality, it demonstrates industrial readiness. The materials and production processes employed are fully compatible with large‑scale roll‑to‑roll (R2R) manufacturing under standard industrial conditions. This aligns perfectly with LUMINOSITY’s core objective to strengthen Europe’s position in next-generation solar manufacturing by closing the efficiency gap between small-scale lab processing and large-scale R2R production. The development represents a complete innovation pathway, progressing from laboratory test cells to 10 X 10 cm flexible modules and, lastly, to a fully integrated solar roof tile. One of the key performance indicators for LUMINOSITY was enabling large-area uniform perovskite solar cell deposition via R2R techniques. The project has shown that minimal efficiency loss is achievable even when scaling up by a factor of 1 000 from a lab-scale cell (about 20 mm) to a module system (up to 400 cm). Furthermore, the use of R2R-compatible flexible substrates, materials and solvents proves that efficient perovskite cells can be produced using scalable methods. Roland Valckenborg, Senior Project Manager at TNO Solar, explains: “This technology allows roofs and infrastructure to produce sustainable electricity without compromising design.”
Communities and spin-offs
Looking ahead, LUMINOSITY will focus on improving the lifetime, reliability and scalability of these flexible modules to prepare for market deployment. To speed up the transition to commercialisation, TNO recently launched the spin-off company Perovion Technologies. LUMINOSITY (Large area uniform industry compatible perovskite solar cell technology) is also providing open and long‑term access to its growing collection of scientific publications, public deliverables, presentations and other resources through its recently launched Zenodo community(opens in new window). For more information, please see: LUMINOSITY project website(opens in new window)
