German Researchers Break Solar Cell Efficiency Record

A new year, a new solar cell efficiency record is broken. German researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have built a solar cell with 41.1% efficiency, besting the previous record of 40.8% efficiency set by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The three-layer gallium-indium-phosphide, gallium-indium-arsenide, and germanium cell broke the record when researchers concentrated sunlight onto it 454 times.

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The cell’s materials are expensive compared to silicon, but are significantly more efficient. This makes the Fraunhofer metamorphic triple-junction cell a candidate for concentrated solar installations, which require fewer materials than traditional installations.

Companies currently working on concentrated solar installations include SolFocus and Concentrix.

Photo Credit: Fraunhofer ISE

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