UC San Diego

Perovskite photovoltaics hold promise to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy by greatly reducing the cost of solar energy. While promising, perovskite commercialization is hindered by short cell lifetimes, and thus researchers use accelerated degradation testing to quickly engineer improvements. However, commercial test equipment is cost prohibitive, and many research groups instead design custom systems. This work presents the novel design of an accelerated and inexpensive testing enclosure for perovskites, and describes the engineering challenges of light, temperature, and electrical tests. Currently, the system is designed for a capacity of 45, 1 cm2 cells, capable of illuminating at 7.2 times the sun’s peak intensity, up to 85C, with a leak rate of 0.3%/hr, and 4-point electrical connection to a custom maximum power-point (MPP) circuit. Total cost of the system is ~$2.5k and is compact; cells can be transferred directly within a glovebox. This paper presents the thermal design, modeling, and challenges of high temperatures. We then present the structural and electrical design and conclude with a cost and failure analysis. The broader goal of this work is to contribute design guidelines for laboratories designing inexpensive, custom enclosures, in hopes of accelerating perovskites’ commercialization.