Liten CEA: 20.3% Perovskite Mini-Module Efficiency

• CEA Liten researchers claim to have reached power conversion efficiency of 20.3% for perovskite solar module
• It was achieved using 8 cells on an active area of 11.2 cm² with a geometrical fill factor of >93%
• Team says the stabilized efficiency at MPP is maintained above 19% and that first tests conducted under illumination and damp heat conditions show stability can be managed

European research institute Liten, short for the Laboratory for Innovation in New Energy Technologies and Nanomaterials under the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), has announced to have reached a new record efficiency for perovskite solar technology. It has reported 20.3% efficiency level for a solar module using 8 cells on an active area of 11.2 cm² with a geometrical fill factor of >93%.

The module combines coating deposition techniques and laser patterning. Liten says for this module the stabilized efficiency at MPP is maintained above 19%. The team shares that first tests conducted under illumination and damp heat conditions show promising prospects for its stability.

While the area used by Liten to reach this level is too tiny, the firm says perovskite technology is on its way to be industrialized maintaining high efficiency on larger area device.

The individual efficiency levels of perovskite are an important factor as the solar manufacturing industry explores the material as a single junction cell or even combined with silicon in tandem architecture. In January 2020, HZB of Germany reported 29.15% conversion efficiency for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell which was confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE (see Perovskite Tandem Cell 29.15% Efficiency Record).