SAUDI ARABIA – Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have developed a novel solar cell with the potential to significantly improve the energy efficiency of renewable sources.
The ‘tandem’ solar cells were developed combining silicon and perovskite sub-cells, making them highly efficient and potentially superior to widely used crystalline solar cells. At the moment, crystalline silicon is the most commonly used material in photovoltaic technology to produce solar cells. They provide module efficiency of around 20-22 percent.
The two-sided tandem solar cell has perovskite cells on top and textured silicon on the bottom. When these materials are integrated, they substantially improve the capture and conversion of sunlight into electricity.
The solar cell showcased a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 33.2 percent. This is the highest tandem solar efficiency ever recorded in the world. Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) previously held the record for creating PCE at 32.5 percent.
“This new record is the highest PCE of any two-junction solar cell under non-concentrated light, attesting the tremendous promise of perovskite/silicon tandems to deliver ultra-high performance photovoltaic modules, which is critical to rapidly achieve renewable energy goals towards combatting climate change,” said Dr. Stefaan De Wolf, who led this development, in a press release.
According to the official statement, the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) has certified the newly built device. The tandem cells were developed at the KAUST Solar Center’s Photovoltaics Laboratory (KPV-Lab).
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