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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

MIT Technology Review [technologyreview.com]:

Solar panels are basically synonymous with silicon. The material is used in about 95% of the panels in today’s market. But silicon solar cells are limited in how much energy they can harness from the sun, and they are still relatively expensive to make.

For many, compounds called perovskites have long held promise as potentially cheaper, lighter, more efficient solar materials. But despite the excitement—and a flurry of startups [technologyreview.com] to commercialize the technology—some experts caution that perovskite-based solar cells could still be nearly a decade away from having a significant commercial impact, if it ever happens.
...
But despite the hype, there are a couple of key reasons why your next rooftop solar installation probably won’t be powered by perovskites. At the top of the list: they’re too fragile.

Perovskites are cheaper to make, but not nearly durable as silicon. Whoever can bridge that gap will change the world.

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