Yunnan University Team Designs Perovskite Solar Cells for Underwater Use

Perovskite solar cells are known for a mix of advantages and drawbacks, the report says. They can be made cheaply, can take forms such as thin, flexible and transparent films, and can convert substantially more incoming solar energy into electricity than conventional silicon cells. Their main weakness is that they tend to degrade quickly.

Moisture is particularly destructive to perovskites, which makes the materials seem like an odd choice for an underwater solar panel. According to Ars Technica, however, perovskites have another property that makes underwater operation possible: they can be tuned to work with different wavelengths of light. Water quickly blocks the wavelengths that silicon solar panels absorb, but a carefully designed perovskite cell could still generate electricity in the deep blue sea.

The report also says that lower light levels and cooler temperatures underwater should help the perovskite cells live longer. Those conditions differ from the usual concerns in perovskite research, where moisture is treated as a threat to stability.

Ars Technica published the account on September 14, 2026. The report presents the underwater application as a way to use perovskite's tunable light absorption rather than trying to avoid water altogether. It does not provide performance figures, deployment plans or details of field testing.

Editor's Summary

A team led by Simin Ma at Yunnan University has designed perovskite solar cells intended to generate electricity underwater, according to Ars Technica. The design relies on perovskite's ability to be tuned to different wavelengths, since water blocks the light that silicon panels absorb. Although moisture normally degrades perovskites, the report says cooler temperatures and lower light underwater may help the cells last longer.