Perovskite solar cell researcher Oxford PV has unveiled a new perovskite-silicon tandem module in conjunction with German module producer Sunmaxx, with a conversion efficiency of 26.6%.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Munich at the Intersolar Europe trade event today, Wilhelm Stein, CEO of Sunmaxx, said that the module would “outshine everything that came before.”
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Stein said the panel was designed to send a message to the global solar industry: “We do not intend to leave the solar field to the US and China. This is a challenge to our competition.”
On the same day, the company announced a world record, 26.9% efficiency reading for a tandem module. The 60-cell double-glass module, with a designated area of just over 1.6 square metres, weighs under 25 kilograms and is “an ideal size for residential applications”, according to Oxford PV. The company said the efficiency was certified by the photovoltaic calibration laboratory at the Fraunhofer ISE (Fraunhofer CalLab), which provides measurement services for solar cells and modules.
“Oxford PV’s record-setting module represents a significant advancement for solar power generation. Homeowners, along with commercial and utility customers, will all benefit from upwards of 20% more power with the same footprint,” said David Ward, CEO of Oxford PV.
The company produced the tandem solar cells for the record-breaking panel at its manufacturing facility in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, and used both in-house and contract services for the module assembly.
Chris Case, CTO of Oxford PV, said: “we are taking the next steps to bring this high-efficiency solar technology into commercial use.”
Oxford PV said the cells broke the record of 25% announced earlier this year. The glass-glass tandem PV module produced by Fraunhofer ISE boasted an efficiency rate of 25% – related to the designated illuminated area – and an output of 421W on an area of 1.68 square metres, which was the world’s most efficient silicon perovskite tandem solar module in industrial format, according to Fraunhofer ISE.
This article was amended for clarity.
