CEA & 3SUN Hit A New Efficiency Milestone

Leading research company CEA and 3SUN, an Enel Group company and a manufacturer of heterojunction (HJT) photovoltaic cells and modules, has announced a new milestone in tandem perovskite-on-silicon solar cell technology – a record efficiency of 30.8%. This is an improvement from the 29.8% new efficiency record that they reported in September last year. In June 2023, CEA and 3SUN had announced achieving 27.1% perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell efficiency (see Another Tandem Solar Cell Efficiency Record).

Developed in the CEA laboratories on the campus of the National Institute for Solar Energy (INES), this cell efficiency record was certified by an independent organization after shading correction.

The tandem architecture used for this record exceeds the 29% theoretical efficiency limit of conventional silicon-based photovoltaic technologies currently mass-produced in gigafactories. Unlike most global efficiency records, which are typically achieved on small 1 cm² surfaces, this breakthrough was demonstrated on a larger 9 cm² cell, making it more viable for industrial-scale production.

This achievement highlights the potential of tandem perovskite-on-silicon solar cells, positioning them as a strong contender to replace existing silicon-only technologies, says CEA. The perovskite layer in this tandem structure significantly enhances light absorption by efficiently capturing high-energy photons from the ultraviolet and visible spectrum, thereby boosting the overall efficiency of the technology.

Recently, vertically integrated Chinese solar PV manufacturer JinkoSolar announced achieving a 33.84% power conversion efficiency for its n-type TOPCon-based perovskite tandem solar cell. Calling it a new record, the company claimed it breaks the conversion efficiency limit of single-junction crystalline silicon cells (see JinkoSolar Claims 33.84% Perovskite Tandem Solar Cell Efficiency).

For those interested in module performance, the TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES Analysis Report looks into the efficiency milestones across cell technologies: IBC, TOPCon, HJT, and PERC (see Top Efficiency Of Each Cell Technology).