Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have reportedly achieved a new world record in the development of perovskite-based solar cells - 26% efficiency in converting sunlight into energy.
The ANU team has been experimenting with perovskite solar cells placed on top of silicon solar cells. The researchers say that the perovskite cells are much better than silicon ones at absorbing blue light, so it is possible to get a much higher voltage out of them. This can be used to circumvent silicon solar cells' efficiency limit, and the ANU team states that it is "... a step closer to a low-cost alternative".
The team said that while it is thermodynamically impossible to reach 100% solar cell efficiency, it team was aiming to increase efficiencies to 30% and beyond. "It's important to recognize that every percentage point that you get reduces the cost of production and so reduces the cost to consumers," the researchers said.
