New high-efficiency solar cells and components

How efficient is a solar cell?

The solar cell is a crucial component of PV technology, and its performance in converting the sun’s energy heavily depends on the materials used for its fabrication. In a study conducted by Zumar, A. et al , several key properties were identified as essential for prospective photovoltaic materials to ensure efficient solar cell performance.

How do photovoltaic solar cells affect efficiency?

Another intrinsic property of photovoltaic solar cell materials that significantly affects efficiency is the bandgap. Silicon cells are limited by their bandgap, which restricts their responsiveness to the broad spectrum of solar energy. This limitation also results in excess thermal energy from non-useable photons, impacting overall performance.

How efficient are organic solar cells?

Recent advancements, particularly in non-fullerene acceptors such as Y6 and its derivatives, along with the development of innovative polymer donors, have significantly enhanced the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells at the laboratory scale, with the expectation to reach 21% in the near future.

How efficient is a silicon solar cell?

The first usable silicon solar cell was created in 1954 and had an efficiency of 6 %, inspired optimism for achieving even greater efficiency in subsequent silicon PV technologies. Since then, researchers have made significant progress, developing silicon solar cells with efficiencies approaching the Shockley-Quesser limit of around 33 % .