Theme 3 - Pioneering Next-Generation Space Technologies

Perovskite-Based Space Photovoltaics: A Next-Generation Alternative to GaAs

Dr Yi Hou

Founder of Singfilm Solar, Singapore

Biography

Professor Hou Yi is a Presidential Young Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Head of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), and Editor of IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. His research focuses on perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics, spanning device physics, materials engineering, and scalable manufacturing for next-generation energy applications. He has broken the world record for solar cell efficiency more than four times, published in leading journals including Science, Nature, and Nature Energy, and is recognised as a top 1% Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher worldwide. He is also an MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 (Asia Pacific) honouree, and his work has been featured by major media outlets such as CNA and DW. Professor Hou is the founder of Singfilm Solar, a deep-tech spin-off translating high-efficiency perovskite technologies into commercial products for aerospace and emerging space platforms. His work bridges fundamental innovation with industrial impact, advancing lightweight, high-efficiency perovskite tandem photovoltaics as a transformative alternative to GaAs-based space power systems, enabling future large-scale space activities and orbital data infrastructure.