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Sharp Regains Solar Cell Efficiency Record

by Zach May 4, 2013
written by Zach May 4, 2013
Sharp Regains Solar Cell Efficiency Record

Sharp has a long string of solar cell efficiency records. And it has just extended that string a little further.

In 2009, Sharp landed a 35.8% triple-junction, non-concentrator solar cell efficiency record. It then went on to break that record a couple more times — with others breaking it as well. Up until recently, that record sat at 37.8%, and Boeing-Spectrolab was the record holder. But Sharp now reports that it has increased its cell efficiency from 37.7% (the record before Boeing-Spectrolab came along) to 37.9%. The efficiency record has been verified by National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

So, Sharp is in the lead again.

If you don’t follow such technology closely, let me quickly explain what a couple of these key terms mean. Conventional solar cells are “single-junction” solar cells, so they are just tuned to one wavelength of light. That greatly limits the efficiency of the solar cells. “Multi-junction” solar cells (in this case, triple-junction solar cells) add junctions using different materials in order to capture more wavelengths of light.

Sharp_solar_cell_efficiency

Of course, this has drawbacks — it’s more expensive and more difficult, for example — but it can considerably increase solar cell efficiency. As you can see in this NREL graph on solar cell efficiencies, multi-junction solar cells rule the roost when it comes to efficiency (note: the graph doesn’t yet include Sharp’s new record):

solar cell efficiency records

Click to enlarge this beast.

 

The other key point I noted above was that the solar cell efficiency record was for “non-concentrator” solar cells. Beyond adding junctions, one can increase the efficiency of a solar cell by concentrating light. As you can see in the graph above, the highest-efficiency solar cells are multi-junction solar cells that also benefit from concentration. Incidentally, Sharp also tied the solar cell efficiency record for this higher category last year, reaching 43.5%, a record which Solar Junction had already set, and which it has now risen to 44%.

Interesting stuff, eh? For more fun learning about solar records, check out:

  • Alta Devices Lands 30.8% Solar Cell Efficiency Record
  • Amonix Breaks Another World Record For PV Module Efficiency
  • SunPower Tops Solar Module Yield Test (Ranks #1, #2, And #3)
  • SunPower Launches Commercial Solar Panels With World Record Efficiency — X-Series
  • First Solar Crushes Thin-Film Efficiency Record, Acquires TetraSun (& Stock Surges)
  • Panasonic Claims Solar Cell Efficiency Record Of 24.7%
SharpSharp SolarSharp solar cell efficiencySharp solar cell efficiency recordsolar cell efficiency recordssolar cellstriple-junction solar cell efficiency recordtriple-junction solar cell recordstriple-junction solar cells
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Zach

is the director of CleanTechnica, the most popular cleantech-focused website in the world, and Planetsave, a world-leading green and science news site. He has been covering green news of various sorts since 2008, and he has been especially focused on solar energy, electric vehicles, and wind energy since 2009. Aside from his work on CleanTechnica and Planetsave, he's the founder and director of Solar Love, EV Obsession, and Bikocity. To connect with Zach on some of your favorite social networks, go to ZacharyShahan.com and click on the relevant buttons.

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