UK-based solar cell manufacturing company Oxford PV, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), has reported a 25% conversion efficiency for its perovskite solar modules.

The company said that its silicon perovskite tandem solar modules delivered an output of 421 watts on an area of 1.68 square meters, making it one of the most efficient modules in the industrial format.

“Our record-breaking solar panels demonstrate that we are on the cusp of the next solar revolution, which will be delivered, in part, by our tandem cell technology,” said Chris Case, the chief technical officer at Oxford PV.

The researchers used equipment at Fraunhofer ISE’s Module-TEC that is already used in mass production and optimized the processes for the tandem technology.

For the calibrated measurements, CalLab PV Modules used a multispectral solar simulator to verify the module efficiency. To make precise statements about the tandem module’s power, the perovskite and the silicon cell layers were illuminated by different LED light sources under conditions as close as possible to the conditions they would be installed to generate electricity.

“It is the first step in what will be a transformative 2024 as we begin to deliver market-ready panels from our factory in Germany and continue our global search for a new high-volume manufacturing site that will enable us to bring our technology into the mainstream,” said David Ward, the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

In March 2023, the company reported a new world record when it achieved conversion efficiency of 28.6% for a commercial-sized solar cell. The company has plans to take this technology beyond 30% efficiency.

This year, the company aims to scale up manufacturing and accelerate its plans for a new factory that will produce a higher volume of tandem solar cells.

A spin-out of the University of Oxford, the company focuses exclusively on developing and commercializing a perovskite-based solar technology. A research and development site in Oxford, UK, and an integrated production line near Berlin, Germany, enable the accelerated transfer of its technology into industrial-scale perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell manufacturing.

Earlier this year, a team at the University of Michigan found that when perovskites are combined with bulky additives such as silicon-based semiconductors, they can last longer.

Hong Kong-based researchers also developed a method to increase the thermal robustness of these cells, making them more commercially viable.