For the sake of external consistency, seeking a problem to fit the solution:
It seems like there's relatively little on the ship in the way of rotational mechanics, doors make a pneumatic sound, etc. Perhaps the equipment is highly EM sensitive? Like the electromagnetic waves from a motor could screw then up somehow kinda like electrostatic issues in a computer?
Perovskite isn't new in the solar world but considering it a coating seems to be, it's not used today primarily because it degrades much quicker than silicon based cells, as of 2022:
the maximum lifetime attained by perovskite solar cells is just a year while it is about 25 years for the Silicon solar cells