Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have set a new world record by producing a more efficient type of solar energy cell.
Principal Investigator with ANU, Kean Chern Fong said the record breaking solar cells were dual sided, meaning both the front and back of the cell could generate power.
Dr Fong said the ‘bifacial’ solar cells easily beat the performance of the more common single-sided silicon solar cells.
“We have developed what I would call a true bifacial solar cell, as it has nearly symmetrical power generation capacity on both surfaces of the device,” Dr Fong said.
“When deployed on a conventional solar farm, a bifacial cell absorbs direct incoming light, while also taking advantage of ground reflection, which can contribute up to additional 30 per cent power generation,” he said.
Dr Fong said bifacial solar cells were becoming increasingly important in the rollout of solar farms and were expected to have a market share of over 50 per cent in the next five years.
Chief Investigator with ANU, Marco Ernst said the research team achieved a front conversion efficiency of 24.3 per cent and a rear conversion efficiency of 23.4 per cent, representing a bifacial factor of 96.3 per cent.
Dr Ernst said the performance represented an effective power output of approximately 29 per cent, exceeding the performance of the best single-sided silicon solar cell.
“This is a world record for selectively laser-doped solar cells and among the highest efficiency bifacial solar cells,” Dr Ernst said.
