Australian researchers record 30.3% efficiency on perovskite-silicon tandem cell

February 9, 2023
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The tandem cells are formed by stacking a perovskite layer atop a silicon cell. Image: The Australian National University.

Australian National University (ANU) said researchers at its School of Engineering have achieved a 30.3% efficiency rate for a test-size perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell.

These tandem cells are formed by stacking a perovskite layer atop a silicon solar cell, which ultimately increases the amount of light that can be absorbed and used by the cell. The work was financially supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency through the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics.  

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Lead researcher Dr The Duong said: “With these tandem solar cells, the perovskite top cell can efficiently absorb the blue light and transmit the red light to the silicon bottom cell, producing significantly more energy from sunlight than each individual device.”

He added: “Surpassing the 30% mark is significant. That’s currently considered the efficiency threshold for the commercialisation of tandem technology like that used in our study.”

In late December, German research centre Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) set a 32.5% efficiency world record for perovskite-silicon tandem cells that was certified by the European Solar Test Installation in Italy. It is unclear by whom the ANU record was verified.

Research into perovskites has made industry headlines recently, particularly in Europe where Swiss PV manufacturer Meyer Burger announced a partnership to research industrial-scale perovskite production and HZB announced the EU-funded PEPPERONI consortium alongside manufacturer Qcells.

Whilst research continues apace, perovskite tandem technology is yet to be produced on any industrial scale. The cells suffer from considerable degradation when exposed to the elements which currently renders them impractical for large-scale use. Laboratory tests like these are promising, but often conducted over just centimetre-scale cells.

“The current predictions are that tandem solar technology will be in mass production by 2026. However, more work is still needed to upscale and ensure the technology can be stable in the field over 25-30 years,” said The Duong.

The ANU researchers said that their tests had shown improvements in cell stability over previous results. If and when scalable perovskites are developed, the jump in efficiency could prove transformative for the PV industry.

PV Tech Premium spoke with a UK-based maker of novel architecture for perovskites last month about the future of the technology.

Read Next

October 17, 2025
Norwegian renewable energy firm Scatec has signed lease agreements for 64MW of solar PV and 10MWh of energy storage capacity in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
October 17, 2025
A group of over 20 US states are suing the Trump administration for the cancellation of the US$7 billion Solar For All Scheme.
October 16, 2025
Masdar and Turkey have entered the final stage of US$1 billion agreement to develop the 1.1GW plant in Bor, Niğde Province, central Turkey.
October 16, 2025
US utility-scale solar additions grew by 56% in 2024, reaching 30GW from 2023’s 19GW and representing over 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added in the country last year.
October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 16, 2025
Off-grid solar company Sun King has revealed plans to set up manufacturing operations in Kenya and Nigeria.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK