World Record Solar Cell with 44.7% Efficiency
World record solar cell with 44.7% efficiency, made up of four solar subcells based on III-V compound semiconductors for use in concentrator photovoltaics. ©Fraunhofer ISE
With a solar cell efficiency of 44.7%, scientists around Dr. Frank Dimroth at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE achieved a new world record for the conversion of sunlight into electricity. They used a new solar cell structure with four solar subcells, a new procedure called wafer bonding and optical components which concentrate the sunlight (Concentrated Photovoltaics CPV). Part of the cell structure was developed at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin in the research group of Prof. Thomas Hannappel, (now with Technical University Ilmenau). They developed methods to prepare critical interfaces and to avoid undesirable defects. SOITEC and CEA-Leti have as well contributed to this world record.
An efficiency of 44.7% was measured at a concentration of 297 suns. This indicates that 44.7% of the solar spectrum`s energy, from ultraviolet through to the infrared, is converted into electrical energy. Concentrator photovoltaics has the potential to achieve twice the efficiency of conventional PV power plants in sun-rich locations of the globe.
Further Information:
www.ise.fraunhofer.de
- Green hydrogen with PEC electrolysers: New insights into transport processesOne method of storing solar energy is to use PEC electrolysers to produce hydrogen. However, scaling up this technology remains challenging. Now, a team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has used 2D fluorescence imaging and particle velocimetry to observe the movement of ions and dissolved gases within the electrolyte during electrolysis. These new insights may prove useful in the development of larger PEC electrolysers.
- New contact material boosts the efficiency of perovskite solar cellsA newly developed material for the electron contact improves the efficiency of single perovskite solar cells and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. The new material is based on a carborane molecule. It offers several advantages over the standard material C60, as shown by the study led by Steve Albrecht’s team. The new material has since been patented and is already commercially available.
- BESSY II: New sample environment allows glimpse into thermocatalytic processesA novel measurement cell allows, for the first time, soft and hard X-ray investigations under high pressures of up to 20 bar and temperatures of up to 400°C. This provides new insights into thermocatalytic processes, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for producing synthetic fuels. The development of the measurement cell is considered a significant achievement within the Care-O-Sene project.