Aussie researchers reach CPV cell conversion of over 40%

Dec 8, 2014 - Solar researchers from Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW) have achieved a record solar cell conversion efficiency of over 40% using concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology.

In a press release on Monday, the UNSW said that the record was marked during outdoor tests using commercial solar cells and was confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US. The project was financed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and backed by the Australia–US Institute for Advanced Photovoltaics (AUSIAPV).

The CPV cell efficiency was achieved by a prototype using a custom optical bandpass filter that captures more sunlight as compared to commercial solar cells on towers. Power towers for the project were supplied by Australian firm RayGen Resources, while some of the solar cells were delivered by US-based Spectrolab.

The 40% efficiency record will be published in the Progress in Photovoltaics journal, the UNSW said.

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