Most recently, it was more European researchers who drew attention to themselves with breakthroughs in innovative solar cells based on perwoskite and recently boosted the efficiency of the future technology to 32.5 percent. Now scientists around Li Gang, Professor of Energy Conversion Technology and Chung, Sze-Yen, Professor of Renewable Energies from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) are reporting with sensational research results.
Because they have managed to bring organic solar cells (OSCs), also known as polymer solar cells, to an efficiency of 19.31 percent. The previous record for this special technology for photovoltaics is 18 percent; by inventing a new process – which optimizes crystallization dynamics and energy loss – the teams were able to set the new world record, which was also documented in the renowned scientific journal Nature. It took the research team about two years to develop a non-monotonic ISM strategy to increase OSC efficiency and reduce non-radiative recombination losses.
Record: Solar cell efficiency reaches 32.5% for the first time
Transparent, stretchy, flexible and with many colors
What does the breakthrough mean now? Compared to other solar cell designs, which are mostly based on silicon, OSCs have the advantage that they can be made from cheap organic material. Hydrocarbon compounds, i.e. plastic, can be used for this, and the production is also more versatile – which is why they are also called polymer solar cells. Other solar cells such as the silicon cells that are widespread today or the newer tandem cells made of perovskite and silicon are more expensive because of the raw materials used – but, as mentioned above, also have a higher energy yield of currently up to 32.5 percent.
“The new finding will make OSC research an exciting field, and this is likely to create tremendous opportunities for applications such as wearable electronics and building-integrated PV,” Professor Li said of the new findings. The low-cost, single-junction OSCs would also have other advantages, including flexibility, transparency, stretchability, light weight, and tunable color. These are all prerequisites for attaching solar cells to any conceivable and sensible outdoor surface.
Breakthrough in solar cells brings efficiency above the 30% barrier