Ready for mass production 28.7% efficient solar cell manufactured….

Q CELLS, a total energy solutions provider in solar power, energy storage, downstream projects and energy retail, claims to have set a new world record for energy efficiency. 28.7% tandem cells in collaboration with researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, a German research center, using a Q.ANTUM-based silicon bottom cell in combination with a perovskite-based top cell.

The Q CELLS R&D team in Thalheim, Germany, has worked in conjunction with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin over the past three years to create a tandem solar cell comprising a silicon-based Q.ANTUM bottom cell and a silicon-based top cell. perovskite base.

“This latest record efficiency result of 28.7% is an improvement of almost one percentage point compared to the 2020 record value of 27.8% (which was independently verified by the Fraunhofer ISE Callab ). This increase in tandem efficiency was made possible by the improvement of both the perovskite and the silicon subcells,” an official statement said.

The research and development was partly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Land of Saxony-Anhalt. While the solar research community has witnessed even higher efficiencies from perovskite-tandem cells, these records would have been achieved using laboratory technology that is not directly transferable to mass production.

The achievement of Q CELLS and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin is notable primarily because the 28.7% efficiency was achieved using an industry-feasible and cost-effective lower cell structure based on Q.ANTUM technology, says the press release.

Last year, Q CELLS announced that it would increase its R&D investment in Germany to 125 million euros over the next three years. A significant part of this figure is intended for the continued support of Q CELLS’ R&D department for the commercialization of the perovskite-silicon tandem technology.

“It is remarkable how the efficiency achieved in conjunction with a lower cell ready for mass production is already approaching what we can achieve at laboratory scale,” said Professor Bernd Rech, Scientific Director from HZB.

Prof. Dr. Steve Albrecht, Group Leader at HZB and Junior Professor at Technische Universität Berlin, added: “It is very exciting that we are enabling this high efficiency in tandem using industry-relevant lower cells with a share market share, so there could be a rapid impact of tandem technology to revolutionize the PV market.

Dr. Daniel Jeong, CTO of Q CELLS, said: “Q CELLS is confident that it can shape the next generation of solar cells again and will continue to invest heavily to support research and development in this area.