VATIS UPDATE Article

Research organization Fraunhofer, Germany, has managed to exceed the world record for multicrystalline silicon cells. The new cells convert an impressive 22.3% of incident solar energy into electricity, and the researchers think that the limits have not yet been reached. Given that the previous world record was also set by Fraunhofer just a few months, we wouldn’t bet against it being able to raise the bar even higher.

Monocrystalline solar cells are the most efficient cells that are used today, but the large amount of energy needed to manufacture them makes them expensive to produce. Multicrystalline cells are produced by melting silicon and then cooling it, which uses less energy and makes the cells cheaper as a result. The downside is that multicrystalline cells are less efficient. You can find a detailed account of the different types of solar PV in our recent article outlining predictions for the industry.

Holding a market share of 57%, multicrystalline cells are the most commonly used cell in the photovoltaic industry. Narrowing the gap in efficiency between monocrystalline cells and multicrystalline cells therefore has huge benefits. This work by Fraunhofer has the potential to further reduce the cost of solar electricity and would have a wide-reaching impact. Fraunhofer achieved the record by making adjustments that focused on the needs of the multicrystalline material in the cell processing steps and in crystallization, and by using a highly pure silicon