Version 64 Of Prof Martin Green Led Cell Efficiency Table

• Under Version 64 of the Solar cell efficiency table, LONGi's HBC cell establishes a 'new record' for silicon  
• The list includes Maxeon's 24.9% efficiency level for a 1.8-m2 silicon module, measured by the NREL 
• These are part of the 19 new efficiencies the list compiles in the latest version

The latest edition of Solar cell efficiency tables by a research group led by Prof Martin Green of Australia has been published with 19 new results. This includes an efficiency of 27.3% for a large-area (243 cm 2) n-type silicon heterojunction interdigitated-back-contact (HBC) cell fabricated by China's LONGi and measured by Germany's Institute für Solarenergieforschung (ISFH).  

According to Version 64 of the efficiency table, this HBC cell establishes 'a new outright record for silicon.' It has polarity contacts on the rear surface that restrict loss by the absence of contacts on the front illuminated surface. The complex rear surface patterning was attempted using an all-laser patterning process.  

The next new efficiency on the table is 13.45% for a 1-cm2 Cu2ZnSnSySe4-y (CZTSSe) cell fabricated by the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IoP/CAS) and measured by the Chinese National Photovoltaic Industry Measurement and Testing Center (NPVM).  

The latest list also includes LONGi Central R&D Institute's 34.2% efficiency for a 1-cm2, 2-terminal, silicon/perovskite tandem fabricated cell, surpassing its own 33.9% results. This increased efficiency was measured at the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, Ispra.  

Among other new additions is the 24.9% new efficiency level reported for a 1.8-m2 silicon module, fabricated by IBC technology proponent Maxeon Solar Technologies and measured by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This, point out the authors, is an improvement to 19.9% efficiency for a 2.4-m2 CdTe-based thin-film module fabricated by First Solar, also measured by NREL.  

The updated table is published every 6 months, listing the highest confirmed efficiencies for a range of PV cell and module technologies. One of the major criteria to get listed here is independent measurement by a recognized test center.   

Its latest Version 64 is available in Progress in Photovoltaics for free viewing.  

Speaking of solar efficiency, TaiyangNews publishes the highest commercial module efficiencies every month as Top Solar Modules Listing (see Top Solar Modules Listing—June 2024).