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The road to higher kesterite efficiencies

Researchers pushed kesterite thin-film solar cells to a record-certified efficiency of 14.2% in 2024, and have now reached a new module record of 13%. But achieving 20% or higher, which could drive broader commercial interest, remains a distant goal, reports pv magazine’s Lior Kahana.

By

Lior Kahana

05 Dec 2025

Image: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Kesterite, a mineral comprised primarily of copper, zinc, tin and sulfur, has long been considered a promising alternative to conventional thin-film solar absorbers, but turning that promise into performance remains a challenge. In mid-2024, a group of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) successfully produced a 1 cm² kesterite cell with a power …

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