Sharp Corporation has reported 32.65% conversion efficiency for a lightweight, flexible, practically sized solar module that it says was developed as part of a Research and Development of Solar Cells for Use in Vehicles project of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
It claims this as the world's highest efficiency for this category.
The new prototype module, Sharp explains, has a triple-junction compound design with a solar cell sandwiched between sheets of thin film and 2 sheets of glass. The module measures about 29 x 24 cm for an area of 965 cm2 and weighs 56 grams.
This efficiency is an improvement over 31.17% it reported in 2016 for a composite module with an area of 968 cm2. To improve the efficiency, Sharp says it improved the cell fill factor on each module.
According to the company this module can be used for electric vehicles (EV) and aerospace in applications that demand high efficiency and lightweight construction, to help reduce GHG emissions from vehicles.
"The prospect of supplying power derived from renewable energy is attracting high expectations as an approach with the potential to maximize the effectiveness of those vehicles. In addition, power derived from renewable energy can be supplied directly by equipping EVs with solar cells, promising to make them more convenient for users, for example by lowering fuel costs and reducing the number of times they require charging," it added.
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