Oxford PV perovskite-silicon solar cell hits 25.2% efficiency

UK perovskite solar firm Oxford PV today said it has achieved 25.2% efficiency for a perovskite-silicon solar cell, developed together with its research partners.

The result is for a 1-sq-cm perovskite-silicon two-terminal tandem solar cell, engineered in collaboration with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics Device Group at the University of Oxford. The efficiency has been certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.

"The unique, optically enhanced architecture developed as part of this collaboration, minimises losses, and has helped us achieve this record setting efficiency," said Oxford PV chief technology officer Chris Case.

Case also said that the company has made progress in transferring its perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell technology from the lab to high-volume manufacturing. Its industrial pilot line in Germany is already producing commercial-sized 156 mm x 156 mm cells for validation by its development partner, an unnamed manufacturer of silicon solar cells and modules.

Oxford PV explained that its two-terminal design will facilitate integration into module fabrication and photovoltaic (PV) systems. This approach removes the additional materials, weight and power invertor challenges of four-terminal tandem cells.

Researchers from EPFL and CSEM in Switzerland recently reported record 25.2% efficiency for silicon-perovskite solar cells.

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