NREL updates solar cell efficiency chart with tandem devices
US energy research lab NREL has updated its cell efficiency chart to include hybrid and tandem perovskite cells.
The Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart is one of the most-visited pages on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) website and tracks solar cell efficiency.
NREL recently developed an interactive version of the chart and began publishing the underlying data table, allowing users to dive deeper.
With the growing interest in tandem PV (cells composed of two separate absorbing layers to capture more of the solar spectrum), the NREL team added a new “Hybrid Tandems” category to the chart. This category collects record tandem cells with layers composed of two different PV materials. Some subcategories of Hybrid Tandems (Perovskite/Si and Perovskite/CIGS) were already present in the previous format under “Emerging PV,” whereas others (III-V/Si and Perovskite/organic) are new.
All of these subcategories have been moved into the new Hybrid Tandems category—with the exception of perovskite/perovskite tandems, which are listed under Emerging PV.
- Record 27.1% efficiency for three layer perovskite solar cell .
- Full-sized tandem perovskite PV panel has record 25% efficiency
- Oxford PV sets record for commercial perovskite tandem cell
The updated chart also makes changes to the “III-V Multijunction Cells” category, which has long contained the highest-efficiency cells on the chart. To simplify the very busy chart, all III-V concentrator cells are now combined into one subcategory, with the number of junctions stated at the label of each point. Three- and four-junction non-concentrator cells are also combined into a “Three-junction or more” subcategory.
With growing interest in and examples of independently verified efficiencies for all-perovskite two-terminal tandem solar cell technology, the NREL team also added a new subcategory under the Emerging PV category on the chart. The new “Perovskite tandem cells” subcategory will list the absolute record efficiency for all-perovskite, two-terminal tandems regardless of the number of junctions.
There is also a related Champion Photovoltaic Module Efficiency Chart
NREL is seeking input from the community of PV researchers and manufacturers on these changes to the Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart. Submit comments and feedback to cellchart@nrel.gov.
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
