The CIRCULAR-PV project is pleased to announce its first scientific webinar, “Sustainability and Circularity in Perovskite Photovoltaics”, taking place on 2 December 2026, from 09:00 to 10:15 CET, hosted by the University of Cyprus.
The webinar will address two important aspects of perovskite photovoltaic (PV) circularity: the environmental assessment and sustainable selection of materials, and the development of greener manufacturing approaches through eco-design and alternative solvent processing.
As perovskite PV technologies continue to advance, ensuring their sustainable and large-scale deployment requires careful consideration of material availability, environmental impacts, resource constraints and manufacturing processes. In line with CIRCULAR-PV’s ambition to develop long-lived, sustainable and recyclable perovskite PV modules, the webinar will bring together scientific insights and approaches that can contribute to more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible photovoltaic technologies.
Webinar Programme
The webinar will feature two scientific presentations by researchers working on the sustainability and development of perovskite photovoltaic technologies.
09:00–09:10 | Welcome and Introduction
Maria Hadjipanayi – University of Cyprus (UCY), Project Coordinator
09:10–09:30 | Evaluating Material Choices in Perovskite Modules: Environmental Footprints, Resource Constraints, and Recycling Benefits
Savannah Bennett – Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
This presentation will explore the sustainability and scalability of material selection for perovskite solar modules. Addressing the lack of reliable life cycle inventory (LCI) data for conventional life cycle assessments (LCAs), the research applies complementary assessment approaches, including the bound reserves ratio (BRR), critical raw material (CRM) classification and industry-based life cycle assessments of raw material production. The analysis considers different perovskite module designs and deployment scenarios, identifying potential material supply constraints and environmental hotspots, while highlighting the importance of material recovery and recycling for sustainable large-scale deployment.
09:30–09:50 | Non-Toxic and Green(er) Solvent Alternatives for Perovskite PV Fabrication
Markus Kohlstädt – University of Freiburg
This presentation will examine greener solvent approaches for the fabrication of mixed-cation FA₁₋ₓCsₓPbI₃ perovskite solar cells. It will explore how cesium incorporation influences perovskite film formation, photovoltaic performance and stability, with particular attention to balancing phase stabilisation and minimising cesium content to support more sustainable perovskite PV manufacturing.
09:50–10:10 | Questions and Open Discussion
10:10–10:15 | Closing Remarks
About the Speakers
Savannah Bennett is a third-year PhD student at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Helmholtz Institute of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Her research focuses on the sustainability and scalability of perovskite materials, employing conventional approaches such as life cycle assessments alongside alternative metrics, including critical raw material analysis. Her current research explores metal selection for greener perovskite modules, with future work also addressing green solvent selection.
Markus Kohlstädt is a Project Manager and Senior Scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) at the University of Freiburg. He has more than 16 years of experience in the fabrication and characterisation of organic and perovskite solar cells and modules, with a particular focus on cell stack development and upscaling. In 2022, he was appointed Head of the Thin-Film Perovskite Photovoltaics team at Fraunhofer ISE.
Webinar Details and Registration
Date: 2 December 2026
Time: 09:00–10:15 CET
Organiser and Host: University of Cyprus
Register here
Researchers, industry representatives and other stakeholders interested in sustainable photovoltaic technologies, circular economy approaches and perovskite PV are warmly invited to attend.
We look forward to welcoming you to this first CIRCULAR-PV scientific webinar!
Funding Acknowledgement
This research was funded by CETPartnership, the Clean Energy Transition Partnership, under the 2023 Joint Call for Research Proposals. The project is co-funded by the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 101069750) and the participating national funding organisations, as listed on the CETPartnership website.
CIRCULAR-PV is also co-funded by the European Union within the framework of the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021–2027”, through the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), under Grant Agreement No. EP/CETP/0923/0009.
