# Perovskite Mini-Module Reaches 23.9%: What It Means [![David Coleman](/uploads_resolved/images/261/320.webp) Author profile for David Coleman](/authors/david-coleman/ "Author profile for David Coleman")[LinkedIn profile for David Coleman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-martyn-coleman/ "LinkedIn profile for David Coleman")[David Coleman](/authors/david-coleman/ "Author profile for David Coleman") Founder & Renewable Energy Author, kilowatts.uk Article # Perovskite mini-module efficiency: why preserving fill factor matters as devices grow Published 2026-11-05 20:06:26 Updated 2026-11-05 12:06:37 A peer-reviewed study reports a certified 23.9% perovskite mini-module. Understand its 19.48 cm2 test area and the gap between a lab result and roof panels. [ Preferred on Google ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source) ![Illustration of a UK home with rooftop solar panels and a home battery.](/uploads_resolved/images/604/320.webp) ## Home energy decisions and the latest developments Illustration of a home energy system; it does not depict a product or installation announced in this article. *Published 5 November 2026. Research published in Nature Communications on 29 October 2026; DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-78867-1.* A perovskite mini-module achieved certified steady-state efficiency of **23.9%** in a peer-reviewed study. Its aperture area was **19.48 cm2**. This is a research result on a small module, rather than a full-size roof panel offered to UK households. The finding concerns what happens when a promising device gets bigger: preserving the electrical performance called fill factor can help reduce efficiency lost during scale-up. ## What the researchers tested The [Nature Communications paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78867-1) analyses efficiency losses across device scales. It identifies fill factor as a major constraint and reports cryo-controlled processing that regulates an intermediate phase during crystallisation. The mini-module has an **83.3% fill factor**. That is not its percentage conversion of sunlight to electricity: efficiency and fill factor describe different aspects of performance. ## Why a larger device is harder to make A small-device result does not simply multiply with area. A larger module must maintain consistent materials, electrical connections and current collection. A successful sample still needs a route to repeatable manufacturing. A UK customer buys finished modules and an installation layout. A strong research result can point towards better products without establishing their wattage, price or service life. ## What steady-state certification establishes Certification is useful evidence about the tested device. Read it with the area and test conditions. It does not measure annual production on a British roof or provide a long-term warranty. Likewise, a link between performance loss and operational decay does not replace years of outdoor testing on production modules. Reliability evidence must suit the conditions and timescale being claimed. ## The route from a result to an installation Look for consistent larger modules, independent durability evidence, electrical specifications, system compatibility, certification and support. A practical process must also deliver saleable panels at an acceptable manufacturing cost. Cooling and other processing steps need to work within that production process. Demonstrating a scientific mechanism does not by itself establish factory throughput or commercial economics. ## Using research news when comparing solar Keep the work on a watch list while comparing available systems on documented specifications. On a constrained roof, usable area and layout matter alongside efficiency. Ask for an output estimate with its assumptions rather than inserting a laboratory percentage into household savings. This study addresses performance retention during scale-up. Its commercial significance will depend on transfer into larger, durable and consistently manufactured products. Tags: [Solar research](/tags/solar-research/ "Solar research")[Perovskite](/tags/perovskite/ "Perovskite")[Solar efficiency](/tags/solar-efficiency/ "Solar efficiency") [ Preferred on Google ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source) Solar comparison ## Compare solar for your property Enter your postcode to assess your roof, compare solar options and get quotes from UK installers. - Free postcode start - Home, business and industrial - RoboMo™ maps your roof ## See which panels fit your roof Choose home, business or industrial, then enter your postcode. RoboMo maps the roof and ranks panel brands by fit. - Home - Business - Industrial UK postcode Fast, free and no obligation to proceed. **1. Postcode** Start the assessment for your property. **2. Pin the roof** Mark the array on the map. **3. Compare** RoboMo™ builds your options. ![Battery storage ROI calculator](/uploads_resolved/images/1012/320.webp) Battery ROI tool ## See what a battery saves on your bill Enter the day rate, off-peak rate and export rate. The calculator ranks batteries in the Kilowatts shop over 10 years. Home batteries also suit offices and small commercial sites. [ **Home** Houses and flats ](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/batteries/)[ **Business** Offices and small sites ](/services/commercial/renewable-energy/commercial-solar-panel-installation/batteries/)[ **Industrial** Factories and warehouses](/services/industrial/renewable-energy/industrial-solar-battery-storage/#get-quote-now) [Shop batteries](/shop/kilowatts-uk/range/solar-batteries/) ## Related services - [arc fault (AFDD) protection for homes](/services/residential/general-electrical-work/residential-afdd-installation/) - [fitted dehumidifiers for damp and condensation](/services/residential/heating-cooling-ventilation/residential-dehumidifier-installation/) - [home underfloor heating installation](/services/residential/heating-cooling-ventilation/residential-underfloor-heating/) - [outdoor patio heaters for homes](/services/residential/heating-cooling-ventilation/residential-patio-heater/) - [downlights and spotlights for homes](/services/residential/lighting/residential-downlight-installation/) - [video doorbell installation](/services/residential/smart-home-security/residential-doorbell-camera/) Reading ## Sources & further reading [![Lithium-Sulphur Battery and Perovskite Solar Drone Completes Two-Hour Flight](/uploads_resolved/images/853/320.webp)Lithium-Sulphur Battery and Perovskite Solar Drone Completes Two-Hour Flight A lithium-sulphur battery drone with perovskite solar cells flew almost two hours. What the test does and does not prove for UK energy sites. Read article](/resources/yesterday-uk/ "Lithium-Sulphur Battery and Perovskite Solar Drone Completes Two-Hour Flight")[![Is a 650W solar panel worth it in the UK?](/uploads_resolved/images/210/320.webp)Is a 650W solar panel worth it in the UK? A 650W solar panel is a large high-output module. It can mean fewer panels, but it is often too big for a typical UK home roof. Read article](/resources/what-is-a-650w-solar-panel-and-is-it-worth-it/ "Is a 650W solar panel worth it in the UK?")[Noak Raises EUR5m for Tandem Solar Development Noak has raised EUR5 million to develop perovskite-silicon tandem solar. What the European spinout means for UK buyers, and what remains unproven. Read article](/resources/noak-tandem-solar-funding-europe/ "Noak Raises EUR5m for Tandem Solar Development")[![Kilowatts UK: Underwater Solar Energy](/uploads_resolved/images/760/320.webp)Kilowatts UK: Underwater Solar Energy Underwater solar panels can work when enough sunlight reaches them. A recent perovskite solar cell study shows useful prototype output at 10 metres depth. Read article](/resources/create-an-original-kilowatts/ "Kilowatts UK: Underwater Solar Energy") Solar panels ## Solar panels [![UKSOL UKS-S108-M10N-R 460W](/images/panels/uksol-uks-s108-m10n-r-460.jpg) 460WUKSOL UKS-S108-M10N-R 460W UKSOL UKSOL · 460W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/uksol-uks-s108-m10n-r-460/)[![NT12R/54GDF 500 W](/images/panels/gcl-system-integration-nt12r-54gdf-500.jpg) 500WNT12R/54GDF 500 W GCL System Integration GCL System Integration · 500W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/gcl-system-integration-nt12r-54gdf-500/)[![LONGi Hi-MO 6 Explorer 585W](/images/panels_resolved/longi-himo-6-explorer-585w/320.webp) 585WLONGi Hi-MO 6 Explorer 585W LONGi Solar LONGi Solar · 585W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/longi-himo-6-explorer-585w/) Shop ## Shop [![Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 475 W](/images/panels/ulica-solar-ul-470m-108ddgn.jpg) £77.43Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 475 W View product](/shop/kilowatts-uk/panel-ulica-solar-ul-475m-108ddgn/)[![Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 480 W](/images/panels/ulica-solar-ul-470m-108ddgn.jpg) £78.24Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 480 W View product](/shop/kilowatts-uk/panel-ulica-solar-ul-480m-108ddgn/)[![Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 485 W](/images/panels/ulica-solar-ul-470m-108ddgn.jpg) £79.06Ulica Solar Black Jade Flow 485 W View product](/shop/kilowatts-uk/panel-ulica-solar-ul-485m-108ddgn/) ## Mo's Mission Nominations [**Garlinge Primary School and Nursery**Garlinge Primary School and Nursery is a foundation primary school on Westfield Road in Margate, Kent, for children aged 3 to 11. It is m...](/solar-mission/garlinge-primary-school-nursery/) [**St Luke's Church of England Primary School**St Luke's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school on Jubilee Road in Formby, Merseysi...](/solar-mission/st-luke-s-church-of-england-primary-school/) [**Comberbach Nursery and Primary School**Comberbach Nursery and Primary School is a primary academy on Mather Drive in the village of Comberbach, near Northwich in Cheshire, for...](/solar-mission/comberbach-primary-school/) Write for Kilowatts.uk ## Got a trade and something worth saying? Write it here under your own name. Sign in, put a profile up, and start a guide. Pay only if you want more links from your articles out to your own site. ### Register Create a Kilowatts.uk account, or sign in if you already have one. ### Author profile Put your name, photo and experience on a public author page. ### Start creating Write a guide or a blog. Free authors can put one followed link to their own site in articles each month. [Write for us](/write-for-us/) [Register or sign in](/login/) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Was 23.9% measured on a full-size roof panel? No. The paper reports a 19.48 cm2 mini-module aperture, not a full commercial roof panel. ### Is 83.3% the module efficiency? No. The paper reports 83.3% fill factor and 23.9% certified steady-state efficiency, different measures. ### Does the result predict my roof savings? No. That needs an available module specification, roof layout, local conditions and system assumptions.