Oxford PV,  a UK-based solar cell manufacturing company, has achieved a new world record conversion efficiency of 28.6% for a commercial-sized solar cell by depositing a thin film of the material perovskite onto a conventional silicon solar cell.

The achievement surpasses the average efficiency of mainstream silicon-only solar cells, which typically range from 22% to 24%.

The efficiency record has been independently certified by Fraunhofer ISE and showcases the potential of combining perovskite and silicon materials in tandem solar cells.

Chris Case, Chief Technology Officer at Oxford PV, said, “Our latest efficiency achievement of 28.6% is more than 1.5% above our record set last year and exceeds our own roadmap plan of 1% annual increases. These record-setting solar cells are made on the same production line as our 27% efficient commercial solar cells, which already meet strict performance and reliability targets.”

As a spin-out of the University of Oxford, Oxford PV has been developing perovskite-on-silicon technology at its research and development center in Oxford, UK.

The company’s manufacturing facility near Berlin, Germany, serves as a critical hub for scaling up production and continuous improvement of commercial-sized devices.

The solar cell was produced at Oxford PV’s integrated production line in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. The company’s production facility, operational since 2017, houses the world’s first volume manufacturing line for perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells.

With initial production underway, Oxford PV is scaling up operations to meet the demand from solar module manufacturing partners.

The breakthrough technology holds great promise for enhancing the affordability and effectiveness of solar energy. Integrating these solar cells into panels maximizes electricity generation per unit area, making them highly attractive for residential, commercial, and utility-scale installations.

The technology also offers the potential to reduce land usage and preserve biodiversity for large-scale solar farms.

By leveraging perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell technology, the company has demonstrated the potential for significantly improving the efficiency and affordability of solar power.

Recently, scientists at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) claimed to have developed a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with a record energy conversion efficiency of 33.2%. Certified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI), the efficiency achieved at the KAUST Solar Center is listed on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Best Research-cell Efficiency Chart.