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					</table>Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (<a href="https://www.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NREL</a>) have proposed enhancing cell and module efficiency to record levels, scale manufacturing, address reliability, and durability issues, and figure out the design of hybrid tandem solar modules to better commercialize them.
Tandem cells, which combine two or more junctions, are recognized for their potential to achieve much higher efficiencies—over 40% under ideal conditions—compared to single-junction cells. Despite this, the commercial scalability of these cells continues to be hindered by the need for improved material properties, better integration techniques, and solving the durability and reliability issues.
In a recently published study in the journal Joule, the researchers have outlined a pathway by reviewing the current state of photovoltaic (PV) technologies and proposed a roadmap for overcoming the challenges. Through this, the team was able to effectively map the fundamental aspects of the cells and also identify the technical hurdles that needed to be navigated to improve the commercial viability of the tandem cells.
As per the researchers, most solar modules currently in use depend on a single junction, which can only absorb a fraction of the solar spectrum, limiting their efficiency. Tandem solar cells, when stacked together, hold the potential to reach higher efficiencies.
Tandem cells also come with their own challenges. ‘For single-junction PV materials, modules are made by interconnecting individual cells laterally in series. For tandems, there are multiple options to interconnect the cells, which provides another layer of complexity to the design of tandem modules,” said co-author Emily Warren, a staff scientist in the High-Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics group at NREL.
The roadmap they charted focuses on combining two or more different PV technologies — hybrid tandems — to provide maximum efficiency. These are further divided into top cells and bottom cells.
The researchers have also found that only three single-junction PV technologies were successfully scaled up to at least a gigawatt production.
Inroads have been made by solar cells from copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe). CIGS is suitable for a bottom cell and CdTe as a top.
However, the commercialization trajectories between silicon and thin-film cells made of CIGS and CdTe inform the challenges that must be overcome to establish a gigawatt-scale tandem technology. Silicon PV benefitted from a steady influx of investments by the semiconductor community, resulting in shared knowledge and standardized processes.
For CIGS and CdTe, companies have guarded their processes and deposition techniques as they attempt to make headway against silicon PV.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-65754 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1.jpg" alt="Cell level configurations" width="936" height="748" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1.jpg 936w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1-300x240.jpg 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1-650x519.jpg 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1-624x499.jpg 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Picture1-600x479.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px" />
For the top cell, the roadmap also vouches for the potential of other materials such as Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium indium phosphide (GaInP)- both of which are known for their highest efficiency in single-junction devices. However, they are expensive, and the researchers at NREL were keen to search for cheaper manufacturing methods.
“Metal halide perovskites provide high enough efficiencies as a top cell and are also cost-effective enough to incorporate that the tandem would have much higher efficiencies than the single-junction cells of either technology,” said Kirstin Alberi, the lead author of Joule.
For the bottom cell, silicon is an obvious choice that is currently dominating the solar industry. The researchers claim that a tandem cell consisting of these top and bottom cells currently holds the record for efficiency. Further, this can be an important driver for lowering the total system cost by reducing the area of the system and the associated balance of system costs.
With these benefits, the study has placed tandem cells on the roadmap of PV manufacturers and has predicted that the cells will reach 2% of the market share by 2030.
“Existing consortia have proven to be immensely helpful in the development and commercialization of single-junction PV technologies because they can help in information sharing, advocating for cross-cutting research that will help the field as a whole, and focusing larger sets of stakeholders to work together to solve problems that impact the entire field,” said Alberi.
The authors have sought to enable researchers and manufacturers to collaborate and address important aspects of tandem design, reliability, and scaling to facilitate progress in mass commercialization.
Last month, researchers from the National University of Singapore <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/record-efficiency-tandem-solar-cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a record energy conversion efficiency of 27.1% in a triple-junction tandem solar cell that they developed.
Earlier this year, scientists from the University of Michigan also <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bulky-molecules-perovskite-solar-last-longer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that adding bulky additives can improve the stability of perovskite solar cells and make them last longer.

NREL’s Roadmap to Make Tandem Solar Cells Commercially Viable

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					</table><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/gail-10-mw-solar-project-madhya-pradesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GAIL (India) has invited bids for the installation and commissioning of a 10 MW grid-connected solar power project at its Vijaipur complex in the Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.</a> The select contractor must oversee the project’s operation and maintenance for five years. The last date to submit the bids is July 12, 2023. Bids will be opened the following day.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rules-amended-bundling-renewables-thermal-hydropower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ministry of Power has amended the program for bundling renewables and storage with thermal and hydropower projects to allow the setting up of renewable energy projects</a> not co-located in the engineering, procurement, and construction tendering mode or through joint ventures. The previous provisions allowed only co-located projects to be included under the bundling program. The Ministry has also clarified the provisions for co-located renewable energy projects and their tariff determination process.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/fichtner-consulting-wins-apdcls-tender-1-gw-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fichtner Consulting Engineers has been awarded a consultancy contract by Assam Power Distribution Company to prepare a detailed project report for a 1 GW grid-connected solar project</a> in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. The company had quoted a contract value of ~₹27 million (~$329,554) for the consultancy services.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bengal-regulations-determine-power-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) has proposed rules encompassing various provisions relating to the determination of tariffs in the state.</a> The WBERC (Modalities of Tariff Determination) Regulations, 2023, intends to provide a transparent and structured framework for the state’s power generation, transmission, and distribution, ensuring fair and efficient consumer electricity pricing. Stakeholders can submit their suggestions and comments by July 12, 2023.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/blackstone-1-billioninvestment-invenergy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Investment firm Blackstone Infrastructure Partners have finalized an approximately $1 billion equity investment in sustainable energy solutions provider Invenergy Renewables Holdings.</a> The infusion of funds will play a vital role in supporting Invenergy’s diverse portfolio of projects, which encompasses solar and onshore wind farms, energy storage facilities, offshore wind initiatives, high-voltage direct current interregional transmission lines, clean hydrogen projects, solar module manufacturing, and its burgeoning reactivate venture that focuses on community solar initiatives.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/engie-and-meridiam-bte-renewables-from-actis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable infrastructure investor Actis has agreed to sell the entirety of BTE Renewables to France-based energy firm ENGIE and global investor and asset manager Meridiam.</a> Upon completion of the transaction, ENGIE will acquire BTE’s South African renewable project portfolio and team, while Meridiam will take ownership of the Kenyan portfolio and team. In 2017, Actis established a pan-African renewable energy platform by acquiring the Kipeto wind project in Kenya during its development phase. The platform expanded in 2019 with the acquisition of BioTherm Energy, a company focused on South Africa, which was subsequently rebranded as BTE.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/gold-layer-substitute-perovskite-market-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A discovery by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Northern Illinois University has developed a layer made of nickel-doped</a> graphite combined with a bismuth-indium alloy as a cost-effective alternative to the gold layer used on perovskite solar cells. The two layers can be easily integrated into the perovskite device by simply painting them on, making the fabrication process cost-effective and accessible and perovskite solar cells commercially viable.

Daily News Wrap-Up: GAIL’s 10 MW Solar Tender in Madhya Pradesh

A team of researchers at the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> have come up with a new method to produce recyclable perovskite used in solar cells, according to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The process is expected to have a lasting impact on the solar sector.
The emerging field of perovskite solar cells has opened new doors for researchers, slowly gaining popularity and acceptance among other solar technologies. But one thing that goes against the perovskite cells is that it poses environmental challenges due to degradation over a period. The degrading photoactive materials usually situated between the layers inhibit cell recycling.
The researchers investigated a structure of perovskite cells composed of chemically and thermally stable oxides, including applying the photoactive perovskite material as a final step. This structure allows for removing and replacing degraded perovskite, with a full restoration of photovoltaic characteristics.
The solar cells prepared using this structure demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 11.08% with a high open-circuit voltage of 0.988 V.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23222" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design.jpg" alt="Illustration of the FTO/mpTiO2/mpZrO2/mpITO cell design" width="969" height="344" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design.jpg 969w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design-300x107.jpg 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design-768x273.jpg 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design-650x231.jpg 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design-624x222.jpg 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Illustration-of-the-FTOmpTiO2mpZrO2mpITO-cell-design-600x213.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px" />
The researchers developed a screen-printed three-layered all-nanoparticle network as a rigid framework for a perovskite active layer. This matrix enables perovskite to percolate and form a complementary photoactive network. Two porous conductive oxide layers, separated by a porous insulator, serve as a chemically stable substrate for the cells.
As per the research paper, the mesostructured triple-oxide perovskite solar cells revealed high stability. These properties are derived from the unique scaffold and the interlaced perovskite network, which is crystallized within its cavities. Other than being fully printable, the cells were proven to be entirely renewable.
The scaffold demonstrated a striking thermal and chemical stability, allowing for the removal of the perovskite while keeping the substrate intact. The application of a new perovskite instead of a degraded one exhibited a full regeneration of all photovoltaic properties. The exclusive recycling of the photoactive materials from solar cells paves the way for more sustainable green energy production in the future.
In October this year, a team of researchers from the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence in Exciton Science <a href="https://mercomindia.com/researchers-develop-process-to-control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">claimed</a> that they had developed a process that could enhance perovskite cells&#8217; commercial use. The research tackled bandgap instability due to light-induced phase segregation in mixed-halide perovskites that presents a significant challenge for their future commercial use.
Earlier, the researchers at Iowa State University <a href="https://mercomindia.com/scientists-introduce-way-to-stabilize-perovskite-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">came up</a> with an innovative way to stabilize perovskite cells at high temperatures. They developed a technique that made the material more stable at higher temperatures.

A New Way to Recycle Perovskite Used in Solar Cells

Scientists and researchers around the world have been trying to increase the efficiency of solar cells. Perovskites with its properties could just be the right ingredient to spur the development of next-generation of low-cost and highly efficient solar cells.
The researchers at <a href="https://www.iastate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iowa State University</a> have come up with an innovative way to stabilize perovskite cells at high temperatures. They have developed a technique that has made the material more stable at higher temperatures.
One of the main problems with today’s solar cells is low efficiency in converting solar energy to electrical energy. This is apparent when we consider the fact that the efficiency of commercial solar cells is just 15%, and this is not a very high number.
This has led researchers to look elsewhere, and they have started looking at perovskite materials as an excellent alternative to silicon cells. The efficiency of perovskite cells is increasing gradually and is now in the range of 25%, which is not bad. But the thing that goes against perovskite cells is that it breaks when exposed to high temperatures, and this makes it challenging to deploy them in areas that have lots of sunshine, like deserts and arid places in America Southwest, Australia, the Middle East, and India.
In this light, the developments at the Iowa State University acquire more significance and point to a step in the direction of commercialization of perovskite cells.
“These are promising results in pursuit of the commercialization of perovskite solar cell materials and a cleaner, greener future,” said Harshavardhan Gaonkar, one of the authors of the research paper and an engineer for ON Semiconductor.
According to Vikram Dalal, director of Iowa State’s Microelectronics Research Center and co-author of the research paper, the engineers have made some changes to the perovskite material. They have substituted cations with inorganic materials such as cesium, and this has made the material stable at high temperatures.
The researchers have also developed an innovative technique that builds a very fine layer of perovskite material at a time, and this vapor deposition technique is already in use in other industries. There are chances that it can be scaled up for commercial production soon.
“Our perovskite solar cells show no thermal degradation even at 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit) for over three days, temperatures far more than what the solar cell would have to endure in real-world environments,” added Gaonkar.
The paper noted that the conversion efficiency of new inorganic perovskite cells is just 11.8%, and a lot of work still needs to be done to achieve greater efficiency. The engineers even replaced iodine with bromine in perovskite materials, and this made cells less sensitive to moisture, but at the same, it reduced the overall efficiency.
So, there’s still a lot of work to be put in by the engineers and researchers before inorganic perovskite materials gain wider adoption.
Recently, Australian scientists, led by members of the <a href="https://excitonscience.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ARC Center of Excellence in Exciton Science</a>, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/semi-transparent-perovskite-solar-windows/">announced</a> that they have succeeded in producing semi-transparent perovskite solar cells that generate electricity. This breakthrough could allow for windows in buildings and automobiles to generate electricity.
In February this year, the researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (<a href="https://www.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NREL</a>) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/lead-absorbing-technology-solar-perovskite-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">came up</a> with a technology that could sequester the minuscule quantity of lead used in developing perovskite solar cells. The perovskite cells face obstacles regarding the lead toxicity, which is impeding its wider adoption.
Image Credit: Iowa State university

Scientists Introduce An Innovative Way to Stabilize Perovskite Solar Cells at High Temperatures

Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (<a href="https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HZB</a>) have developed tandem cells that combine two different semiconductors and convert different parts of the light spectrum into electrical energy. The new perovskite CIGS tandem cell achieves a record efficiency of 24.16%.
The metal halide perovskite compounds mainly convert visible parts of the spectrum, whereas, CIGS semiconductors deal with the infrared light.
As the name suggests, CIGS cells are made of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium, and these can be deposited as thin films with a total thickness of only 3 to 4 micrometers. The perovskite layers are even much thinner at 0.5 micrometers. The tandem cells, which are a combination of CIGS and perovskite cells, have thickness well below the five-micrometer level, and this could lead to the production of flexible solar modules.
Talking about this latest combination, Steve Albrecht of HZB, said, &#8220;This combination is also extremely lightweight and stable against irradiation, and could be suitable for applications in satellite technology in space.&#8221;
Speaking on the tandem cells, Christian Kaufmann from PVcomB at HZB, commented, &#8220;This time, we have connected the bottom cell (CIGS) directly with the top cell (perovskite), so that the tandem cell has only two electrical contacts, so-called terminals. Especially the introduction of rubidium has significantly improved the CIGS absorber material.&#8221;
By using the new perovskite CIGS tandem cells, the team has achieved an efficiency of 24.16%, and it has been officially certified the CalLab of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE).
The new &#8216;2 Terminal&#8217; tandem cells have been made of CIGS and perovskite cells. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), USA, has created a new branch on the famous NREL chart for this purpose. The chart has been keeping track of cell efficiencies for all solar types since 1976, and perovskite compounds were included since 2013.
Recently, several new world records using perovskite cells in combination with inorganic semiconductors have been issued by HZB.
Recently, the researchers at the NREL have <a href="https://mercomindia.com/lead-absorbing-technology-solar-perovskite-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">come up</a> with a technology that could sequester the minuscule quantity of lead used in developing perovskite solar cells. This development might mark the beginning of an efficient emerging photovoltaic technology.
Earlier, Mercom had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/perovskite-cigs-semiconductors-efficiency-modules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that combining thin-film solar modules based on perovskite semiconductors with semiconductors made of CIGS, solar module technology could cross the 30% efficiency mark, according to a study conducted by the Karls-ruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Nice Solar Energy, and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW).
Image credit: HZB

New Perovskite CIGS Tandem Cell Achieves Record Efficiency of 24.16%

The researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (<a href="https://www.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NREL</a>) have come up with a technology that could sequester the minuscule quantity of lead used in developing perovskite solar cells. This development might mark the beginning of an efficient emerging photovoltaic technology.
The perovskite solar cell is an emerging technology with great potential for the solar industry, but it still faces certain obstacles regarding the lead toxicity, which is impeding its wider adoption. While the chances are slim, there’s always a possibility of lead leakage when using this technology, which might pose a serious health risk when using perovskite solar cells in building-integrated photovoltaics.
The team of researchers at the NREL has developed a chemical approach for on-device sequestration of more than 96% of lead leakage caused by severe device damage.
“The light-absorbing layer on the perovskite solar cells contains a small amount of lead, and this could act as a deterrent when perovskite cells become commercially available,” says Kai Zhu, a senior scientist at NREL.
Zhu, along with Fei Zhang and Joseph Berry of NREL, Haiying He of Valparaiso University, and Xun Li and Tao Xu, worked on this development of this new technique.
“Lead toxicity has been one of the most vexing, last-mile challenges facing perovskite solar cells. Our on-device lead-sequestration method renders a ‘safety belt’ for this fascinating photovoltaic technology,” says Xu.
It is important to note here that the efficiency of perovskite solar cells is close to 25%, and this could be cut into half if the lead is not used. While silicon solar panels use lead which is not soluble in water, lead used in perovskite cells can be dissolved in water, which is a significant concern. But the researchers at the NREL have come up with this technology that can sequester lead in case the cell is damaged.
To prevent the leakage of lead in case the cell is damaged, the researchers at NREL coated both sides of the cell with lead absorbing films, and then they cut the cell into half. The researchers then dipped the damaged cell in water and found that the lead absorbing film can prevent nearly 96% of lead from leaking into the water from the damaged cells.
Moreover, the addition of the film on the cell didn’t decrease the efficiency of the perovskite cells in any way, and this bodes well for the future.
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.
Recently, <a href="https://www.panasonic.com/global/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Panasonic Corporation</a> <a href="https://mercomindia.com/panasonic-claims-conversion-efficiency-perovskite-solar-panel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that it had achieved the world’s highest energy conversion efficiency of 16.09% for a perovskite solar module by developing a lightweight technology using a glass substrate and large-area coating method based on inkjet printing.
Previously, Mercom had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/perovskite-cigs-semiconductors-efficiency-modules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that combining thin-film solar modules based on perovskite semiconductors with semiconductors made of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS), solar module technology could cross the 30% efficiency mark, according to a study conducted by the Karls-ruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Nice Solar Energy, and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW).
&nbsp;
Image credit: NREL

Researchers Develop Lead Absorbing Technology for Solar Perovskite Cells

<a href="https://www.panasonic.com/global/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Panasonic Corporation</a> has announced that it has achieved the world’s highest energy conversion efficiency of 16.09% for a perovskite solar module by developing a lightweight technology using a glass substrate and large-area coating method based on inkjet printing.
This was carried out as a part of the project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (<a href="https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NEDO</a>), which is working toward the development of technologies to reduce power generation costs for high performance and high-reliability PV power generation to foster the growth of renewable energy, especially solar power generation.
An interesting part of this innovative technology is that it uses an inkjet-based coating method that can cover a large area and is cost-effective. In addition to this, this latest technology allows for generating solar power at locations where conventional panels are hard to install.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17757" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2.png" alt="Picture1" width="940" height="347" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2.png 940w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2-300x111.png 300w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2-768x284.png 768w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2-650x240.png 650w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2-624x230.png 624w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture1-2-600x221.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px" /></a>
The main advantage of a solar perovskite cell is that it has the structural advantage as its thickness is a minuscule part of the crystalline silicon solar cells. The lightweight nature of the cells makes it easier to install on facades and windows by using a transparent conductive electrode which can promote the concept of Net Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB). The cost-effective nature of perovskite cells makes them the most attractive proposition for the future.
The high conversion efficiency was achieved by focusing on the inkjet coating method, where the raw material was applied uniformly on each layer of the solar cell including the perovskite layer to achieve the high conversion efficiency for a large area module.
One of the main atomic groups that form the perovskite crystal is methylamine which has issues of thermal stability during the heating process. The research team at Panasonic altered some parts of methylamine into formamidinium, cesium, and rubidium, which have an appropriate diameter size and play a vital role in contributing to high power conversion efficiency.
The inkjet coating method was used to control the concentration of perovskite ink to certain content and by precisely controlling the coating amount and speed during the printing process, which led to the high-power conversion efficiency of large-area modules.
By using these technologies, the research team at Panasonic succeeded in enhancing crystal growth and improving the uniformity for thickness and crystal layer, which led to the achievement of 16.09% efficiency which might be a step closer to practical application.
Recently, <a href="https://www.jinkosolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JinkoSolar</a>, a China-based solar module manufacturer, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/jinko-bifacial-solar-modules-achieve-efficiency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that it has broken the world record for maximum conversion efficiency for its bifacial solar modules, hitting 22.49%. With this, the company says it has set a new industry standard for the efficiency of mass-produced solar cells.
Earlier, Beijing-based <a href="https://www.hanergy.eu/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hanergy Holding Group Ltd</a>, the thin-film solar power company, had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/hanergy-achieves-conversion-efficiency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that its Chengdu Research &amp; Development Center once again breached the world record for its silicon heterojunction technology with a record-setting 25.11% conversion efficiency.
Previously, Mercom had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/australian-research-team-achieves-efficiency-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that a team at the Australian National University had achieved a 21.6% solar cell efficiency. This is the highest value attained for perovskite cells that are above specific dimensions. In the current market scenario, rooftop solar panels being installed have an efficiency of 17% to 18%.

Panasonic Claims Highest Conversion Efficiency of 16.09% for Perovskite Solar Panel

A team of research scientists from the Australian National University (<a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ANU</a>) has had a breakthrough in the efficiency of solar cells, an outcome multiple entities around the world are incessantly attempting to achieve.
The efficiency of a solar cell refers to the part of the energy from sunlight (photons) that can be converted into electricity by the solar cell. The efficiency of the solar cells in a solar photovoltaic system along with a few other factors is responsible for the energy output of the entire solar photovoltaic (SPV) installation.
The team at ANU have achieved a 21.6% solar cell efficiency. This is the highest value attained for perovskite cells that are above specific dimensions. In the current market scenario, rooftop solar panels being installed have an efficiency of 17% to 18%.
&#8220;There are three things you&#8217;re trying to achieve with solar cells; you&#8217;re trying to make them efficient, stable, and cheap. Perovskites are the future of solar cells. With perovskites the efficiency is now competitive, and cost is one of the big selling points. The real challenge now is making them stable enough to be used on a rooftop for example, where they must be able to last 25 to 30 years in extreme temperatures. Ultimately, the aim is to combine these perovskites with silicon in a tandem solar cell. Putting the two materials together can potentially give us higher efficiencies than either one alone. 95% of solar cells are made of silicon at the moment. It&#8217;s a very, very good material, but it&#8217;s going to reach the upper limit of its efficiency in the next five or ten years. To be able to make a good tandem solar cell you&#8217;ve got to have both of your cells operating as efficiently as possible. Because silicon can&#8217;t get much better, we&#8217;ve been focusing on the perovskite half. When they&#8217;re very small it&#8217;s difficult to measure them accurately, and it&#8217;s not necessarily representative of what would happen if you scaled up. Our result is the highest on a scale that many consider the minimum &#8211; one square centimeter,” said associate professor, Thomas White.
Perovskite materials combine chemical elements like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, iodine, and lead. Perovskite is a material with a similar crystal structure to calcium titanium oxide and is known as a perovskite structure. The crystal has oxygen at the edge centers. The newly found cell efficiency implies that perovskite cells can produce 216 watts of electrical power per square meter. This result was achieved by a new nanostructured material conjured by Dr. Jun Peng, a co-researcher on the project.
&#8220;An efficient solar cell must be able to produce both high voltage and high current. It can be difficult to achieve both at the same time, but the nanostructured layer in our cells makes this possible,” commented Dr. Peng.
The Commonwealth Scientific assessed the results of this endeavor and Industrial Research Organization (<a href="https://www.csiro.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CSIRO</a>) Photovoltaic Performance Lab and the project was executed with funds from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/ultrathin-solar-cells-efficiency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meanwhile, nearly a month ago</a>, researchers at the French Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies (C2N) collaborated with researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (<a href="https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ISE</a>) and others to efficiently capture the sunlight in a solar cell on an ultrathin absorbing layer made of 205 nm-thick gallium arsenide (GaAs) on a nanostructured back mirror. This new process of fabrication achieved an efficiency of nearly 20%.
Recently Mercom also reported on <a href="https://mercomindia.com/carbon-nanotubes-increase-efficiency-solar-modules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rice</a> University scientists designing arrays of aligned single-wall the carbon nanotubes to channel mid-infrared radiation and significantly raise the efficiency of solar energy systems. According to the research, the carbon nanotube can be just the device to make solar panels that lose energy through heat far more efficiently.
Image credit: ANU

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