Degrading is acceptable if it is slow enough, and the redeployment cheap and easy enough. This is why we still have a market for the humble flashlight battery.
Yep, slow degrade is what exists now at about 2% to 5% over 10 years for silicon PV systems.
Rapid degrade is an engineering problem that in this case likely already has a solution proposal that is not being talked about.
You have most of the puzzle here.
The part missing is ‘What do you want it to do?’
Most people do not use the humble flashlight battery for a daily power source. So it only has to be convenient, have a long shelf life and be inexpensive enough to justify its occasional use.
Today’s photovoltaic systems are too expensive and don't last long enough for powering a home day to day without government subsidies. But if you want to have a bank to power your camper occasionally it might work for you so you don’t have to use up your camper’s fuel to power your refrigerator and TV. Because you don’t have the panel exposed everyday it should last the life of the camper.
If this new technology can lower the price of the solar cell to the point that it breaks even with its initial cost amortized over the life of the system it would be remarkable. If not it will still be a seller for uses such as the camper industry.
I guess the missing part is will this new technology bring the photovoltaic industry to the point of being able to survive without government assistance? Can the industry make it in the rough and tumble world of the free market?