tandem solar cells

A U.S.-based team developed a vapor deposition technique to fabricate outperforming all-inorganic perovskite thin films in under 5 minutes in a continuous process. The adoption of the proposed approach may also result in higher perovskite solar cell power conversion efficiencies.

A German research team has investigated the optical properties of perovskite/perovskite/silicon triple-junction cells and has found these devices may have a practical efficiency potential of 44.3% assuming idealized electrical parameters. These cells may also potentially achieve a fill factor of 90.1%.

NREL researchers reviewed and assessed a variety of tandem solar cell pairings on technology status and prospects. Their work is intended to identify what kind of work lies ahead on the path to commercialization.

Scientists in Denmark attempted for the first time to build a selenium-silicon tandem solar cell and found the device was immediately able to deliver a remarkable open-circuit voltage. Despite its current low efficiency levels, the new cell concept promises to reach efficiencies over 40%, according to its creators.

Researchers from ten countries assessed the prospects of using vapor-based deposition processes to put perovskite thin film processing on the fast track to commercialization, drawing attention to its merits and key areas to research and develop.

Developed by scientists in Korea, the so-called ACIGS cell is intended for applications in perovskite-CIGS tandem PV devices. Their work demonstrates correlations between element diffusion behavior and notch-point formation in ACIGS films.

Fraunhofer ISE is leading a project that is developing methods to characterize perovskite-based tandem modules, in an effort to facilitate their industrial implementation. A specially built Wavelabs solar simulator is now being used at the institute’s CalLab PV Modules. 

Scientists in the Netherlands have developed a new crystalline solar cell based on poly-SiOx passivating contacts. The poly-SiOx tech results in a 20% efficiency rating, but 4T tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells based on the poly-SiOx cell can reach an efficiency of 28.1%, and 2T tandem perovskite-silicon devices can hit 23.2%.

pv magazine speaks to Gianluca Coletti, program manager of tandem photovoltaic tech at Dutch research institute TNO, about initial attempts to bring tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells to market. He says the first PV products based on the highly efficient technology could make an appearance sooner than expected.

Saudi Arabia researchers claim to have improved the outdoor stability of a tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell by using proper encapsulation. By the end of the first year of operation, the cell’s fill factor remained above 70%.