Solar panel efficiency exceeds 30 percent, but another option has emerged

The current commercial standard for solar systems, when it comes to efficiency, is around 20 to 22 percent. There are products that perform worse than this and there are solutions, typically presented as a recent result of laboratory experiments, that are capable of more than that. Because the key to the success of solar systems is their increasingly low cost of ownership, a value higher than usual efficiency means a lot to those who do not have enough free area for solar panels in or around the building or in the floor.

Previously, Napi.hu reported on the complicated solution that operates with a multi-channel lens system, which in the cooperation of the European Union, from 5 million euros to an efficiency of 41.4 percent. At the same time, it was also clear that the CPV Match Project results would not soon appear on rooftops, as they would be much more likely to appear where the concentration of energy production outweighed the total energy or cost of the system.

However, the research to increase efficiency also extends to solar panels that can be mass produced earlier. The Helmholtz Zentrum in Berlin recently announced its intention to cross the border this way. One of the main profiles of the Institute for Research in Structure and Materials Technology is the study and development of the dynamics and efficiency of materials that can be used for solar technology, and according to its recent communication, the so-called set a new record with perovskite-silicon tandem cells, so there is still a spare in the system.

According to the report, the team, led by Steve Albrecht, was able to work stably for more than 300 hours on solar panels assembled from the two semiconductors with an efficiency of 29.15 percent. This gave the past the highest scientifically published figure of 26.2 percent so far, but even the 28 percent peak at Oxford. The Berlin record was published in the journal Science and the results are certified by the Fraunhofer ISE. The explanation of the main decision material structure looks like this:

… but the result was also clearly explained. According to the researchers, the success can be attributed to the fact that they managed to develop and make usable a new contact layer based on karzab, thus making the energy transfer process more optimal and stable at the molecular level. The researchers did not skimp on thanks: they appointed researchers from Lithuanian, Slovenian and British universities, as well as from other European countries, a total of 29 authors whose work contributed to the now published result. “Each partner brings their own specific expertise, so we were able to make this breakthrough together,” said Steve Albrecht.

The group continues to work with cellular materials, and the research leader is confident that they will reach 30 percent, as the maximum achievable efficiency was 32.4 percent when summing up the theoretical calculations. All this means that if this technology and material structure can be transferred to the world of mass-produced solar cells, it will be possible to harvest up to one and a half times the “yield” from the same surface area. (Meanwhile, here’s another recent announcement: In Switzerland, standard-size wafers – that is, before the Berlin lab in preparation for mass production – achieved 26.5 percent efficiency with the same tandem cell technology. ).

They get lost in a new hunting ground.

The news is not about when all this will happen, but the fact that in addition to the efficiency competition from solar cells, a “rival” has also appeared. In the Netherlands, another approach has emerged on how to produce even more energy in buildings, even closer to energy self-sufficiency. A startup solution called Solarix consists of designing, manufacturing and installing solar panels not on the roof of the building but on the facade. Depending on their size, these panels are rated at 110-180W, and while they seem modest, they produce 13.8 percent efficiency, but are made with more color than size. Furthermore, these panels can be easily installed (screwed or glued) to the wall of the building, complemented by a simple aluminum mounting profile.

All this was reported by PV-Magazine. The newspaper spoke with one of the founders of the company; Reinier Bosch said the panels are currently only produced in Europe, but they are already considering making it elsewhere, under license.

The monocrystalline modules weigh 22.5 kg per square meter, the panels already available in different shades of blue, red, green and gray are colored with ceramic ink, thus providing a long-lasting and deep color experience according to the manufacturer. However, Solarix not only manufactures solar panels for facades, but also develops and installs quite complex solutions. Therefore, while the price of the base panel costs 270 euros per square meter, for those equipped with sensors (LED sensors for movement, light, pollution and temperature) they already ask for 700 euros. But Bosch says that each project has its own characteristics, so these prices are only beacons. A 400 square meter solar façade has also been built, and specific orders have now been placed for ten major projects.