Stanford University researchers have drawn inspiration from flies' eyes to tackle perovskite materials' stability (namely mechanical stability) challenges. The team created honeycomb shielded perovskite cells that got nearly the same power-conversion efficiencies compared to a standard photovoltaic cell, and held onto relatively high rates of efficiency after stress testing with extreme temperature (185F) and relative humidity over a six-week period.

The team set out to test the concept of a reinforced scaffold to solve the mechanical instability of perovskites. Using photolithographic methods, they were able to construct a hexagonal scaffold just 500 microns wide out of a durable polymer. Within this, they built the perovskite cells.

Researchers at The University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) have made advancements in the design of transparent solar materials. These could be suitable for roof-mounted solar panels or ones that are placed on windows. Instead of silicon, the cell is based on a perovskite material. A thin perovskite layer absorbs sunlight to generate an electric charge, which is transmitted to an electrode layer sandwiched between perovskite and a glass backing.

A major challenge in the field of solar panels is to create a material that absorbs enough light to produce power, yet still manages to remain transparent. To achieve this, the IIS researchers exploited the properties of the human eye. They took account of the fact that, for visual purposes, not all colors are equal. In fact, the eye is much more sensitive to green light, in the middle of the spectrum, than red or blue. According to the rules of "human luminosity," a good supply of green light is the main priority for visibility. Their new material was therefore designed to mostly absorb red and blue light, while letting green through.