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Business Standard

Japan bets on ultrathin solar panels to drive next phase of clean energy

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan is showcasing a breakthrough in solar technology — not inside a pavilion, but on the curved roof of a 250-metre bus terminal. Covered in over 250 ultrathin perovskite solar panels, the installation reflects Tokyo's push to lead the next phase of solar power innovation, reduce reliance on Chinese imports, and create new use cases for urban solar deployment, according to a report by Nikkei. Takayuki Taenaka, an official at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), said the new technology offers multiple gains. 'It's like killing three birds with one stone,' he said. What are perovskite solar panels? Named after their crystal structure, perovskite panels are composed of chemical compounds layered just millimetres thick. These flexible, film-like panels can match the power efficiency of conventional polysilicon panels while being 20 times thinner and 10 times lighter. Their flexibility allows installation on surfaces unsuitable for rigid panels, such as windows, walls, or rooftops unable to support heavy loads. This makes them ideal for densely populated, infrastructure-heavy nations like Japan. Urban deployment amid limited flat land Japan already leads major economies in installed solar capacity per square kilometre of flat land. However, its mountainous geography limits room for large-scale solar farms. Tokyo now aims to generate up to 29 per cent of its electricity from solar energy by FY40—up from under 10 per cent today—by deploying perovskite panels across urban surfaces. Installing these panels on walls, glass windows, and other vertical spaces could turn cityscapes into decentralised solar farms. Commercial rollout to begin in FY27 Though perovskite solar technology was discovered only in 2009, it is rapidly advancing. Sekisui Chemical, which developed the panels for Expo 2025, plans to begin commercial shipments by the end of this fiscal year. Full-scale production is slated for FY27. Futoshi Kamiwaki, president of Sekisui Solarfilm—a subsidiary created to scale the product—said perovskite panels have the potential to surpass conventional solar cells in energy efficiency. Rising efficiency draws more players Conventional silicon solar cells typically reach 20 per cent efficiency. Sekisui's perovskite panels have achieved 15 per cent in the field. But under lab conditions, the technology has reached nearly 30 per cent, according to Kamiwaki. This promise has attracted more than a dozen players, including industry heavyweights like Panasonic and Kaneka, who are exploring integration of perovskite cells into window glass and other building materials. Targeting 20 GW from next-gen solar by 2040 This wave of innovation is expected to support Japan's goal of generating 20 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from next-generation solar technologies—including perovskite panels—by 2040. This output would be equivalent to the power generated by approximately 20 nuclear power plants, significantly advancing the country's energy independence and sustainability targets.