Less than two months after achieving a new world record for tandem solar cell efficiency of 33.2%, KAUST researchers have announced an improvement to this number by reaching a power conversion efficiency of 33.7% for a perovskite-silicon solar cell.
The result was reportedly certified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI).
Oxford PV has announced 'a new world record for the efficiency of a commercial-sized solar cell'. The efficiency record was achieved on a commercial-sized ‘M4’ (258.15 cm2) solar cell. The cell is a 2T device made by depositing a perovskite thin-film cell onto a conventional silicon heterojunction cell.
The record-breaking solar cell converted 28.6% of the sun’s energy into electricity, as independently certified by Fraunhofer ISE. The solar cell was produced at Oxford PV’s integrated production line in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. The factory has commenced initial production of the company’s tandem solar cells for integration by solar module manufacturing partners and is ramping up to higher volumes. The site, operational since 2017, houses the world’s first volume manufacturing line for perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells.
To pave the way for the industrial implementation of efficient perovskite-silicon PV modules, a reliable measuring system for tandem solar cells and modules must be established. Only then can objective comparisons between different cells and modules take place. In contrast to conventional silicon PV modules, however, the calibration is considerably more challenging.
A project consortium, led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, is therefore developing methods for characterizing perovskite-based tandem modules in the "Katana" project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate BMWK. The solar simulator specially built for this purpose by the company Wavelabs Solar Metrology Systems GmbH is now in use in the CalLab PV Modules of the research institute.
Researchers from Solliance partners Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and TNO have developed a tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell using a new approach to interface engineering.
The team's findings demonstrate the potential of using (n)nc-SiOx:H and (n)nc-Si:H interfacial layers in tandem solar cells to minimize reflection losses at the interfaces between the perovskite and silicon sub-cells, as explained by the scientists. Through optimizing interference effects, these light management techniques can be applied to various tandem structures.
Hanwha Q Cells, the solar panel unit of Hanwha Solutions Corp., has announced a large investment of 136.5 billion won (around USD$102 million) to establish a test facility for mass production of perovskite-silicon tandem cells and modules at its Jincheon plant in North Chungcheong Province. The trial operations for the new facility are scheduled to begin in the latter half of next year.
In collaboration with its German R&D center in Talheim, which currently operates a small-scale test production line for R&D purposes, the company plans to launch full-scale mass production of tandem cells in the second half of 2026.
Japan-based chemicals company, Kaneka, has reported the design of a two-terminal (2T) perovskite-crystalline tandem solar cell using a 145 μm thick industrial Czochralski (CZ) silicon wafer. The cell has an anti-reflection intermediate layer relying on what Kaneka calls “gentle textured structures” that were applied on the front side of the bottom, which reportedly enables a significant improvement in the typical light confinement effects in perovskite-silicon tandem devices.
“Light management technology is mandatory to fully utilize the wide range of the solar spectrum in a solar cell, especially for a 2T tandem structure, since its top and bottom cells are electrically connected in series and required to satisfy the constraints of current matching whereby the respective currents at the operating point are aligned to some extent,” the scientists said in their work. “Because of the large difference in the refractive indices between perovskite and crystalline silicon (c-Si) materials, the optimized intermediate layer as shown acts as an anti-reflection coating to suppress the reflection loss of the infrared light that is utilized in the bottom cell.”
First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), a leading American solar technology company, has announced that it has further strengthened its global leadership in thin film photovoltaics (PV) by acquiring Evolar, a European developer of perovskite technology.
The purchase price is approximately $38 million paid at closing and up to an additional $42 million to be paid subject to certain technical milestones being achieved in the future. The acquisition is expected to accelerate the development of next generation PV technology, including high efficiency tandem devices, by integrating Evolar’s know-how with First Solar’s existing research and development (R&D) streams, intellectual property portfolio, and expertise in developing and commercially scaling thin film PV.
Beijing Yaoneng Technology Co. (Auner), a Chinese developer of perovskite and crystalline silicon lamination photovoltaic technology and manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules, has announced that its 25cm² perovskite silicon tandem PV cell has achieved a stable conversion efficiency of 30.83% in the laboratory, which has reportedly been confirmed by China’s National Institute of Metrology.
Auner said this is a further increase by 1.26% from the 29.57% certified record achieved in February 2023 for its perovskite-silicon tandem PV cells. In addition, Auner says its large size perovskite cells are closer to meeting the mass production needs of the PV industry.
A new consortium of academic and industry partners, Tandems for Efficient and Advanced Modules using Ultrastable Perovskites, or TEAMUP, looks to help mitigate climate change by making a new generation of solar technology commercially viable.
The three-year TEAMUP collaboration, which is planned to start in the fall of 2023, is supported by $9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. TEAMUP seeks to maximize the performance and reliability of tandem solar panels for consumer use.
The US Department of Energy supports perovskite R&D initiatives, both in academia and industry. We have recently interviewed Lenny Tinker, Photovoltaics Program Manager, Solar Energy Technologies Office at the US DoE.
Q: Hello Lenny, thanks for your time. Do you believe perovskite materials hold the key to next-gen solar (PV) energy?
Perovskite solar cells have shown potential for high performance and low production costs. However, considerable work needs to be done in order for these materials to reach commercial success in PV applications.
