Perovskite solar cells for emerging scenarios: Flexible wearables, indoor light harvesting, and semi-transparent photovoltaics

The diversification of photovoltaic applications has exposed the structural limits of crystalline silicon, which is rigid, opaque, and poorly suited for low-light conditions. This review reframes the central question for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) from maximizing single-junction efficiency toward scenario-driven deployment. We focus on three application spaces where PSCs offer a direct mapping between material physics and performance requirements: flexible/wearable devices, indoor weak light harvesting, and semi-transparent photovoltaics. Four intrinsic properties underpin these scenarios: a high absorption coefficient enabling sub-300 nm absorbers, a soft defect-tolerant octahedral framework for mechanical strain, low-temperature solution processing compatible with polymer substrates, and a compositionally tunable bandgap for indoor LED matching. We review the recent progress of PSCs in the three scenarios and also show the effort of our group on efficient and stable PSCs. At last, we identify recurring bottlenecks: defects, interfaces, stability, and outline future directions including scenario-specific protocols, co-design strategies, and parallel advances in cost and recyclability.