In the relentless pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, solar technologies remain at the forefront of scientific innovation. Among the emerging contenders, thin-film solar cells fabricated from novel materials such as copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and perovskite have garnered significant attention. These materials promise remarkable photovoltaic efficiencies and flexibility unattainable by traditional silicon-based cells. Yet, transitioning from laboratory breakthroughs to commercially viable products is fraught with challenges. Recent commentary in Nature Energy by a consortium of researchers and industrial experts offers a critical evaluation of these promising technologies, shedding light on what it takes to bridge the gap between experimental success and market dominance.
The solar cell industry has seen silicon maintain its position as the dominant technology for decades, mainly due to its well-established manufacturing infrastructure, proven reliability, and continuing cost reductions from economies of scale. However, silicon’s intrinsic properties impose limitations on cell thickness, weight, and flexibility, restricting their deployment in certain emerging applications such as wearable IoT devices, smart textiles, and mobile power solutions. This is where thin-film technologies come into play, offering ultra-thin, lightweight, and flexible alternatives that could complement silicon cells by covering usage niches where traditional modules fall short.
CIGS solar cells emerged as a promising thin-film technology in the late 20th century, partly driven by soaring silicon prices, which made alternative photovoltaics economically appealing. This compound semiconductor demonstrated impressive efficiency records achieved in laboratory environments—many of which were milestones at prominent research centers such as Empa. Substantial investments catalyzed company formations and large-scale product development globally. Nevertheless, the initial enthusiasm waned. Unlike silicon, CIGS manufacturing demands complex processes, including high-vacuum deposition techniques and precise compositional control, driving up production costs and complicating scale-up efforts. When silicon prices stabilized, the cost advantage diminished, and CIGS failed to penetrate the market as widely as envisioned.
Conversely, perovskite solar cells have witnessed an intense surge in research over approximately the last two decades. Named for their unique crystal structure, perovskites have revolutionized the photovoltaics landscape through their rapid efficiency gains and adaptable manufacturing techniques, such as solution processing and printing methods. These attributes potentially enable low-cost, high-throughput production. Globally, investments exceeded half a billion US dollars by 2025, signaling strong commercial interest. Empa itself has been at the spearhead of perovskite research and brought innovations to market through spin-offs like Perovskia Solar. Despite these advancements, perovskites face significant barriers—most notably, their chemical instability when exposed to moisture, oxygen, and thermal stress—limiting their operational lifetimes and real-world performance validation.
At the crux of progressing these technologies lies a fundamental insight: efficiency alone does not guarantee commercial success. While academia predominantly rewards breakthroughs in power conversion efficiency—high-impact publications and funding often follow efficiency records—the industry prioritizes factors essential for mass production and long-term viability. These include resilience against environmental degradation, manufacturing scalability, reproducibility of device performance, and sustainability considerations related to material sourcing and disposal. Mirjana Dimitrievska, the lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of aligning research objectives with industrial demands such as extended operational lifetimes and cost-effective fabrication methods.
Another critical lesson distilled from the history of CIGS development is the value of collaboration and transparency between academia and industry. The study highlights instances where industrial partners dismissed certain research avenues based on proprietary, unpublished failure data—hindering academic groups from learning critical pitfalls and accelerating alternative approaches. Dimitrievska and colleagues advocate for sharing negative results and initiating collaborative efforts at earlier research stages to avoid redundant experimentation and expedite innovation cycles. This would not only avoid repeating costly mistakes but also tailor research outcomes more directly to industrial feasibility and market needs.
Research institutions like Empa play a pivotal role in this ecosystem by acting as conduits between fundamental research and industrial application. Unlike traditional universities, such institutes often have stronger linkages to industry and access to applied research funding programs like Innosuisse, which support targeted technology development. Leveraging these advantages can foster product-focused innovation that balances cutting-edge science with pragmatic constraints, propelling advances in both perovskite and CIGS photovoltaics toward commercial adoption.
Looking toward the future, the synergy between silicon and thin-film technologies offers an exciting pathway to dramatically enhance solar cell efficiency and functionality. Tandem cell architectures that stack a thin layer of perovskite or CIGS atop silicon exploit the complementary absorption spectra of these materials to surpass single-junction efficiency limits. Such hybrid approaches harness the maturity and reliability of silicon with the innovation and versatility of emerging films. The lightweight, flexible nature of thin-film layers expands the potential applications far beyond traditional rooftop solar installations, extending into flexible electronics, portable power sources, and autonomous sensor networks.
Although hurdles remain—particularly with the stability and long-term environmental robustness of perovskites—the rapid pace of global research aimed at overcoming these challenges fuels optimism. Parallel developments and renewed interest in CIGS technologies signal a renaissance for thin-film photovoltaics that could diversify the global solar energy portfolio. The continued influx of investments, combined with strategic partnerships bridging academic innovation and industrial pragmatism, sets the stage for these materials to realize their promise.
In summary, the trajectory of thin-film solar cell technologies underscores a vital paradigm: sustainable energy innovation demands more than breakthroughs in efficiency metrics. By integrating manufacturability, durability, and collaboration early in the development pipeline, researchers and industry can navigate complex commercial landscapes more effectively. As silicon reaches the limits of incremental improvement, the dawn of tandem and flexible solar cells shines brightly, heralding a new era where emerging semiconductors like CIGS and perovskites play transformative roles in powering a cleaner, more adaptable energy future.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Lessons from copper indium gallium sulfo-selenide solar cells for progressing perovskite photovoltaics
News Publication Date: 16-Jan-2026
Web References:
10.1038/s41560-025-01936-0
Image Credits: Empa
Keywords: Solar cells, thin-film photovoltaics, perovskite solar cells, CIGS, tandem solar cells, photovoltaic efficiency, renewable energy, flexible solar technology, commercialization challenges, material stability, photovoltaic manufacturing, sustainable energy
