Power Roll announces Japanese perovskite PV project
UK-based flexible PV specialist Power Roll is teaming up with Japanese utility Tokyo Gas to explore the commercial scale-up of its lightweight perovskite technology.
The two parties have signed a joint development agreement to advance the market-readiness of Power Roll’s solar film technology and prepare the way for future large-scale production.
Power Roll said the partnership would involve the first trial of its perovskite-based solar film outside of Europe, with pre-commercial deployments of the technology planned for Tokyo Gas sites in Japan.
Power Roll’s perovskite solar cell adopts an innovative structure that does not require indium tin oxide (ITO), the material used in transparent conductive oxide (TCO) substrates that typically account for 40–60 percent of materials cost in conventional perovskite solar cells.
While many companies across the industry are pursuing alternative materials, Power Roll has achieved a breakthrough by eliminating ITO altogether and forming electrodes on its proprietary micro-grooved film. By fundamentally removing the need for ITO through a re-designed cell structure, dramatic cost reductions—previously difficult with conventional technologies—are expected.
In this Project, Tokyo Gas will apply its advanced installation technologies — including its proprietary adhesive-based construction method — together with its expertise in distributed energy system deployment and operation. Over approximately one year, the Project will monitor and evaluate power generation performance, durability, and other factors. The goal is to verify and improve performance and reliability under Japan’s climate and environmental conditions.
The two companies will also identify potential use cases in Japan, examine requirements for certification systems essential for social implementation, and explore the possibility of jointly building a manufacturing and supply framework (domestic supply chain) in Japan. Through this Project, Tokyo Gas and Power Roll aim to accelerate the social implementation of film-type solar cells, contributing to increased adoption of renewable energy in Japan and the realisation of a carbon-neutral society.
This follows the announcement in January 2026 of Power Roll and Swansea University's Innovate UK Project to appraise novel characterisation techniques for perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
The initiative, titled 'AI-Enhanced Perovskite Manufacturing using Inline Metrology, Performance Assessment and Characterisation Techniques (AI-IMPACT)', was awarded under the recent Developing Semiconductor Hardware for Critical Technologies call.
AI-IMPACT aims to address major capability gaps in inline and end-of-line testing for PSCs at scale and high throughput. Without these advancements, PSC companies could face significant hurdles in achieving product accreditation.
The project will deliver new inline testing and characterisation tools specifically designed for perovskite devices in manufacturing environments, alongside the development of robust stability guidelines to support industry standards.
