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Recently, a new world record for converting sunlight into electricity has been set, which researchers believe will greatly benefit renewable energy efforts. Longi, the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer, achieved a 34.6 percent power conversion efficiency using a tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell, surpassing the previous record by 0.7 percent. This new record is more than 7 percent more efficient compared to the standard silicon solar cells commonly used in commercial solar panels.
Perovskite is considered a ‘miracle material’ due to its potential to enhance various technologies such as batteries, telecommunications, and renewable energy. As traditional silicon solar panels are reaching their limits, researchers are turning to next-generation tandem cells to maximize the Sun’s energy. Perovskite-silicon cells have a theoretical efficiency limit of 43 percent, significantly higher than the 29 percent limit of standard silicon cells.
Longi has broken the world record for solar cell efficiency 16 times in the past three years, showcasing their commitment to innovation in this field. The record-breaking achievement was announced at the 17th International Solar Photovoltaic and Smart Energy Conference (SNEC) in Shanghai, along with a groundbreaking partnership agreement with Saudi energy company ACWA Power to revolutionize global energy solutions. Longi attributes this new record to the optimization of the thin film deposition process, the use of high-efficiency defect passivation materials, and the development of high-quality interfacial passivation structures.
Though specific details were not provided, Longi and other companies are actively working towards commercializing this technology. Oxford PV in the UK is anticipating the fulfillment of its first customer orders for perovskite-based solar cells this year, with a production facility already established in Germany