Perovskite-on-Silicon Tandem Tech Breaks Solar Cell Efficiency Record

Oxford PV researchers have paired metal halide perovskites with conventional silicon to create a solar cell that overcomes the practical efficiency of 26% that silicon cells alone can deliver. Using perovskite-on-silicon tandem technology, the researchers demonstrated a cell with efficiency of greater than 29.5%.

Tandem solar cells with world-record efficiency of 29.52% could help rapidly scale up solar energy. Courtesy of Oxford PV.

From a materials perspective, Oxford PV said, perovskites fulfill all optoelectronic requirements for a photovoltaic cell, and they can be manufactured using existing processes. Perovskite can also be deposited as a layer onto a conventional silicon solar cell; the elemental composition of the perovskite material is readily available within existing supply chains; and the higher power output of perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells could offset the carbon footprint embodied in the production of high-purity silicon required for photovoltaic cells.

Oxford PV researchers say they are very close to starting mass commercial production at the company’s factory in Brandenburg, Germany.