Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has developed a triple-junction solar cell with an open-circuit voltage of over 2.8 volts. The team used perovskite-perovskite-silicon subcells that it claims offers an 'even greater' efficiency potential than double-junction tandem cells.
In comparison, traditional silicon solar cells have an open-circuit voltage of between 0.7 volts and 0.8 volts.
The team explained that a high voltage indicates that the basic physical characteristics of the solar cell are appropriate and that the fundamental aspects needed for a very efficient solar cell are in place.
Group Leader for Perovskite-Silicon Technologies at Fraunhofer ISE and at the University of Freiburg, Dr. Juliane Borchert said, "This is a record value for this type of solar cell and demonstrates how photovoltaics combining perovskite and silicon offers huge untapped potential."
The team says it was able to achieve this high voltage by using a gas quenching method for deposition of the top perovskite layer while optimizing interlayers between perovskite subcells. Use of precise measurement procedures also helped ensure the reliability and accuracy of the reported values.
This technology, therefore, is extremely promising for electricity generation, added Borchert.
Funded by the European Commission and the RIESEN research project of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Fraunhofer ISE carried out this research as part of the Triumph project.
It has been published in the ACS Energy Letters journal under the title Monolithic Two-Terminal Perovskite/Perovskite/Silicon Triple-Junction Solar Cells with Open Circuit Voltage >2.8 V.
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