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

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

arö

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Sodium-ion batteries: New storage mechanism for cathode materials
    Science Highlight
    18.07.2025
    Sodium-ion batteries: New storage mechanism for cathode materials
    Li-ion and Na-ion batteries operate through a process called intercalation, where ions are stored and exchanged between two chemically different electrodes. In contrast, co-intercalation, a process in which both ions and solvent molecules are stored simultaneously, has traditionally been considered undesirable due to its tendency to cause rapid battery failure. Against this traditional view, an international research team led by Philipp Adelhelm has now demonstrated that co-intercalation can be a reversible and fast process for cathode materials in Na-ion batteries. The approach of jointly storing ions and solvents in cathode materials provides a new handle for the designing batteries with high efficiency and fast charging capabilities. The results are published in Nature Materials.
  • New Helmholtz Young Investigator Group at HZB on perovskite solar cells
    News
    26.06.2025
    New Helmholtz Young Investigator Group at HZB on perovskite solar cells
    Silvia Mariotti starts building up the new Helmholtz Young Investigator Group ‘Perovskite-based multi-junction solar cells’. The perovskite expert, who was previously based at Okinawa University in Japan, aims to advance the development of multi-junction solar cells made from different perovskite layers.
  • Hydrogen storage in MXene: It all depends on diffusion processes
    Science Highlight
    23.06.2025
    Hydrogen storage in MXene: It all depends on diffusion processes
    Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as MXene are of great interest for hydrogen storage. An expert from HZB has investigated the diffusion of hydrogen in MXene using density functional theory. This modelling provides valuable insights into the key diffusion mechanisms and hydrogen's interaction with Ti₃C₂ MXene, offering a solid foundation for further experimental research.