“Researchers increase speed vnom efficiency solar cells of up to 46 percent”

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The German Fraunhofer institute and the French research institute CEA-Leti to say a new record was obtained for the conversion of sunlight to electricity using solar cells. The new record is a speed vnom efficiency of 46 percent, and 50 is considered feasible.

The researchers use so-called multi-junction solar cells in which each subcel a quarter of the incident light converts it to electricity. This applies to photons with a wavelength of 300 to 1750nm. By the light to focus using a Fresnel lens with 50.8 W/cm2 with an efficiency of 46 percent, breaking the old record of 44.7 percent by the same researchers in september of last year was achieved. For the record, it was sunlight, concentrated to an intensity that corresponds to 508 ‘suns’, reports Fraunhofer. The results have been confirmed by the independent Japanese AIST-research institute.

According to the French and German scientists was the correct distribution of the photons over the four subcellen of the multi-junctioncel the most difficult hurdle that needed to be taken. By the thickness of each layer within the solar cell to change and by changes in the material composition would have a higher efficiency are achieved compared to earlier designs.

Fraunhofer and CEA-Leti claim that their concentrator photovoltaic technology is the most efficient and is particularly interesting for areas where the sun’s intensive radiation. In addition, speak to the researchers, the expectation that in the near future rates of return of 50 percent. The developed cells are produced by Soitec.