Imec - Page 2

Belgian research centre Imec has announced that it has boosted the performance of its its 4 cm2 perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaic module to a power conversion efficiency of 23.9%. According to Imec, this is the first time that a module-on-cell stack structure has outperformed a standalone silicon solar cell.

'Two innovations are key to this achievement,' said group leader for thin-film photovoltaics at imec and perovskite PV program manager at Solliance. 'First, a different perovskite material (CsFAPbIBr) was used, largely improving the stability and conversion efficiency of the 4 cm 2 semi-transparent perovskite module to 15.3%. Second, the architecture of the stack was optimized for minimal optical losses by adding an anti-reflection texture on top of the module and a refractive index matching liquid between the perovskite module and the Si solar cell.'

Imec, a leading research and innovation hub in nano electronics, energy and digital technologies, and partner in Solliance, announced that it has improved its 4x4cm² perovskite module achieving a certified conversion efficiency of 12.4%.

The module efficiency was measured under long-term maximum power point (MPP) tracking, testifying to its exceptional stability. At Solliance, this perovskite technology is developed with industrially-applicable processes and with a view towards a rapid market introduction of this promising source of renewable energy.

Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), ZSW and IMEC presented at the PSCO international conference a prototype of the new solar module using thin-film technology. According to the researchers, an efficiency of 17.8% has been achieved in this prototype of a perovskite/CIGS tandem thin-film solar module, exceeding the efficiency of individual perovskite and CIGS solar modules for the very first time.

To create the new solar module, the researchers used a stack module. By merging both perovskite and CIGS into one module, the new structure could benefit from the advantages of both technologies. The upper semitransparent layer of the model is made of perovskite, which absorbs high solar energy. Meanwhile, the lower CIGS layer is responsible for infrared conversion. Having an area of 3.67 square meters, the stacked perovskite/CIGS model is also designed to meet industrial needs. It features a monolithic interconnection scheme using 4 and 7 module cell stripes. Unlike other small-scale solar cells, the new stacked solar module can be interconnected for several square meters through laser processing.

Nanoelectronics research center imec has presented what is thought to be the first-ever semi-transparent perovskite PV-module, achieving power conversion efficiencies up to 12%. This technology may enable semi-transparent PV-windows and other such advanced applications. Moreover, combining these semitransparent perovskite modules with Si solar cells, an unprecedented 20.2% in power conversion efficiency for a perovskite/Si stacked solar module was achieved.

The semi-transparent perovskite modules of imec realized by scalable coating techniques showed efficiencies of 12% on sizes as large as 4 cm2 and 10 % on sizes as large as 16cm2, a world-best achievement in this domain.