Future societies must rely on clean energy sources based on sustainable technologies, and any sustainable technology must: a) generate enough power with reduced space usage (efficiency); b) be cost-effective and c) not be detrimental to the environment or society. In addition, if the goal of that technology is generating green energy to fight climate change, d) durability is to be added to these main requirements. In the global scenario of technological implementation of renewable energies, metal halide perovskites (HaP) have the potential to fulfill these criteria. However, they require a radically new approach, diverging from the roadmap followed by previous technologies. The stability of HaP devices still trails standard silicon solar cells. Long-term stability appears to be restrained by the soft nature of HaPs.

To address the present instability issues and ensure long-term effectiveness, new approaches based on remanufacturing are imperative. Remanufacturing aims to recover value from used perovskite modules by reusing glass and other components, restoring the module to a like-new condition. Additionally, recycling lead and electrodes is crucial to avoiding environmental burdens.

Remanufacturing leverages the low cost of new photovoltaic materials, their minimal environmental impacts, and the innovative design possibilities offered by new encapsulation systems. In this context, the sustainability assessment of remanufacturing is more influenced by life cycle costs than environmental impacts. Compared with a passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) module with the same photoconversion efficiency (PCE), even after 10 remanufactures, the carbon footprint and energy payback time of HaP are lower than those of PERC. However, economic studies indicate that up to three remanufactures within a 25-year lifespan, with a 5% discount rate and an average PCE of 15%, are feasible to match the same levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) as silicon crystalline modules.

The feasibility of remanufactures is influenced by various parameters, introducing uncertainty at this early technology readiness level. Some parameters are inherent to HaP, such as PCE for large areas, the cost of delamination, and the final minimum sustainable price. However, certain economic parameters, such as the economic discount rate or the price of PERC, are external to HaP.

We find ourselves at a pivotal juncture, wherein we possess the opportunity to steer the trajectory of solar energy's future toward enhanced sustainability through the strategic application of design principles aimed at facilitating recycling. This endeavor involves drawing valuable lessons from past experiences with silicon, acknowledging its challenges in the realm of recycling.