A Technology in Constant Reinvention
When solar panels first appeared on rooftops in India two decades ago, they were expensive, bulky, and delivered modest efficiency. Fast forward to 2025, and solar is now the cheapest source of new power in the country.
But the story doesn’t stop here. Solar technology is evolving rapidly — from the polysilicon panels that dominate today, to emerging materials like perovskite, which promise higher efficiency at lower costs. The next chapter of India’s clean energy growth may well depend on how quickly these innovations scale.
The Era of Polysilicon: Today’s Workhorse
Most solar modules today use crystalline silicon wafers, made from refined polysilicon. They dominate because they are:
- Proven and reliable, with 25+ year lifespans.
- Mass-manufactured at scale, driving prices down.
- Continuously improving, with efficiencies now reaching 20–23%.
India’s domestic manufacturing push under PLI schemes is largely focused on this technology, ensuring supply chains for polysilicon → wafers → cells → modules.
Yet, silicon has limitations — energy-intensive production, rigid form factors, and efficiency ceilings. This is where next-gen materials come in.
The Next Frontier: Perovskites
Perovskites are a new class of materials that can absorb sunlight more efficiently than silicon. What makes them exciting?
- Efficiency potential → Lab tests show >30% efficiency when paired with silicon (tandem cells).
- Lightweight & flexible → Can be coated onto glass, plastic, or even fabrics.
- Cheaper to produce → Manufactured at lower temperatures, reducing energy use.
For India, perovskites could enable cheaper rooftop panels, solar windows, and even building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
The catch? Stability. Perovskite cells degrade faster when exposed to heat and moisture — a big challenge in Indian conditions. Global R&D is racing to solve this.
Other Emerging Solar Technologies
The solar world isn’t betting on one horse. Alongside perovskite, several innovations are in the pipeline:
- Bifacial Panels → Generate electricity from both sides, capturing reflected sunlight.
- Thin-Film Solar → Lightweight, flexible modules for rooftops with limited load capacity.
- Quantum Dot Solar → Nanomaterials engineered for high-efficiency light absorption.
- Solar Paints & Coatings → Early-stage concepts where buildings can be coated with solar-active layers.
What This Means for India
India’s solar journey has so far been about cost reduction and scaling silicon. But in the coming decade, innovation will play a bigger role:
- Domestic R&D Hubs → India needs to invest in perovskite and tandem research to adapt them to hot, humid conditions.
- Flexible Solar Applications → Lightweight and building-integrated tech could revolutionize urban solar adoption.
- Export Leadership → If India cracks perovskite stability, it could become a global supplier of next-gen modules.
Expert View
“The silicon era made solar cheap. The perovskite era could make solar limitless — powering not just rooftops and farms, but every surface exposed to sunlight.”
— Dr. Meera Patel, Solar Materials Scientist