New Solar Panels Produce 60 Percent More Electricity
Solar power is becoming increasingly common worldwide, even in less sunny regions like the UK, due to advancements in solar panel production and efficiency. Two key factors driving this growth are the ability to mass-produce affordable solar panels and the continuous improvement in power conversion efficiency. Current solar panels convert about 20-22% of sunlight into electricity, but new research shows that tandem solar cells, combining silicon and perovskite materials, could increase efficiency to as much as 34%.
These tandem cells capture more sunlight by stacking materials that absorb different parts of the solar spectrum. A recent breakthrough by LONGi achieved a record 33.89% efficiency with a silicon-perovskite tandem cell. Perovskite materials, discovered less than two decades ago, complement silicon by capturing high-energy blue light more efficiently, reducing energy losses.
This increase in efficiency could significantly reduce the number of panels needed and lower installation costs. While this may not drastically impact electricity bills for consumers in countries like the UK due to how prices are set, it could make rooftop solar installations more appealing. For example, improving panel efficiency from 22% to 34% could increase annual savings on electricity bills by 27%.
Although these high-efficiency cells are still in the lab and face challenges scaling up for widespread use, companies like Oxford PV have begun selling tandem panels. Sustainability concerns about the materials used, such as lead and indium, remain, but progress is being made toward integrating tandem solar technology into various applications, including buildings and vehicles.