Solar Perovskite Silicon Technology: High-Efficiency Developments

 

The Cutting-Edge of Solar Perovskite Silicon Technology: High-Efficiency Developments


Solar technology has been making significant strides, with researchers around the globe working tirelessly to enhance the efficiency and affordability of solar panels. This blog post will delve into the latest high-efficiency solar technology currently under development.

A New Era in Solar Technology

One of the most exciting advancements in solar technology is the development of perovskite-silicon “tandem” cells1. This technology has been under research for about a decade, but recent technical improvements have now pushed them past the 30% efficiency milestone1.

The breakthrough involves adding a layer of perovskite, another semiconductor, on top of the silicon layer1. This captures blue light from the visible spectrum, while the silicon captures red light, boosting the total light captured overall1. With more energy absorbed per cell, the cost of solar electricity becomes even cheaper, and deployment can proceed faster to help keep global heating under control1.

The Future of Solar Technology

If the scaling-up of production of the tandem cells proceeds smoothly, they could be commercially available within five years, about the same time silicon-only cells reach their maximum efficiency1. Two groups have published the details of their efficiency breakthroughs in the journal Science, and at least two others are known to have pushed well beyond 30%1.

One group, led by Prof Steve Albrecht at the Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy in Germany, has achieved efficiencies of up to 32.5% for silicon-perovskite cells1. The other group, led by Dr Xin Yu Chin at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated an efficiency of 31.25% and said tandem cells had the "potential for both high efficiency and low manufacturing costs"1.

In addition to these developments, researchers have created a solar cell with a record 39.5 percent efficiency under 1-sun global illumination2. This is believed to be the highest efficiency solar cell of any type, measured using standard 1-sun conditions2. Although this technology is not yet commercially available, it represents a significant leap forward in solar technology, Graphs from https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/07/monolithic-perovskite-silicon-tandem-solar-cells-for-water-splitting/



Conclusion

The future of solar panel technology is indeed bright. With ongoing advancements in efficiency and affordability, solar panels are set to play a pivotal role in our transition to a sustainable future. So, let’s embrace the power of the sun and harness its energy to light up our world.

References:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220524171211.htm

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