World record for solar cell efficiency

A new world record has been achieved for the efficiency of tandem solar cells. With a perovskite silicon solar cell researchers at Helmholtz- HYPERLINK "https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/"Zentrum HYPERLINK "https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/" Berlin have achieved an efficiency of 29.8 percent for the first time.

Like silicon, the mineral perovskite is found in the Earth's crust, but is now also produced artificially. Due to their physical properties, pure silicon modules can theoretically achieve an efficiency of 29.3 percent. So-called tandem modules, in which semiconductor materials are combined, are said to have values of up to 40 percent – theoretically. This efficiency has not yet been achieved in practice.

The company, Oxford PV, which set the then record of 29.52 percent solar cell efficiency, in December 2020, also plans to produce series-produced peroskit-on-silicon tandem solar cells for the first time, in Brandenburg an der Havel, starting in 2022.

HZB believes that achieving even better values is within the realm of possibility. For example, the researchers assume that the performance can be further increased by nanostructuring the absorber layers on both sides. An efficiency of well over 30 percent could soon be achieved in this way, they say. "This could revolutionize the photovoltaic industry in the near future," explains Steve Albrecht from HZB. (pv-magazine)

Sources:

pv-magazine, article by Ralph Diermann (11/11-21): https://www.pv-magazine.de/2021/11/22/helmholtz-zentrum-berlin-erzielt-weltrekord-bei-wirkungsgrad-von-tandem-solarzellen/, last access 11/23/21 at 11:45 am.

Mdr.de/wissen (08/18-21): https://www.mdr.de/wissen/solarzellen-wirkungsgrad-neuer-weltrekord-100.html, last access 11/23/2021 at 1 pm.