Thin-film PV achieves world-beating 21.7 percent efficiency
ZSW succeeded in bringing the record back to the institute with this cell’s performance. Swedish researchers achieved a new best mark in June 2014, which has now been surpassed by 0.7 percentage points.
The record-setting performance in Stuttgart extends the CIGS cell’s lead over multicrystalline solar cells, which still dominate the market, to 1.3 percent. "Our advances once again confirm the tremendous technological potential of CIGS thin-film photovoltaics," said Prof. Michael Powalla, ZSW board member and Head of the Photovoltaics division. "The lab data show that further efficiency improvements will be possible in the years ahead. This could drive down the cost of CIGS tech-
nology even more sharply."
The record-setting cell has an area of 0.5 cm², a standard size for such tests. The cell was manufactured in a laboratory coating plant by way of a co-evaporation process that is highly reproducible in the lab: The scientists made more than 40 cells with efficiency ratings topping the 21-percent mark. This would indicate that the method lends itself to industrial manufacturing and could be readily scaled up to mass production. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE confirmed the results.
"It will probably take some time for this efficiency increase to make its way into module manufacturing," explained Prof. Powalla, "but 17 to 19 percent is very much possible in the next few years." The CIGS modules currently available on the market are rated for around 15 percent efficiency. Modules’ physical area is larger so they are less efficient than solar cells.
The latest results from Stuttgart improve the chances of CIGS thin-film technology gaining a much larger market share. The ZSW licensed the technology to and developed it jointly with this industry partner. Reutlingen-based company Manz AG exclusively markets a turnkey manufacturing line for producing CIGS thin-film solar panels and now aims to move this efficiency boost out of the lab and into the factory. The idea is to make CIGS solar systems economical and affordable practically anywhere in the world.
Related articles and links:
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