Scientists at the University of South Wales have imposed a new world record by creating the first silicon solar cell that reaches an efficiency of 25%.
The team leader, Prof. Martin Green, said that his solar cell is 6% more efficient than any previous technology. This record is very close to the theoretical limit of 29% that this generation of cells can supposedly reach.
This increased efficiency is due to new knowledge about the composition of sunlight, leading to an improvement in the ability of solar cells to capture more energy at the ends of the spectrum of sunlight. According to Green “This new feature to capture light, make our cells act as if they were much thicker as they really are. This discovery has already brought us closer company to market solar cells on thin films, which may be up to 100 times thinner than conventional silicon cells. “
Negotiations for commercial production of the cells are already underway, and could soon lead the new generation of low-cost solar cells.
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