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Imec Reports Record Conversion Efficiency of 23.9 Percent on a 4cm2 Perovskite/Silicon Solar Module

Imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics, energy and digital technology, and partner in Solliance and EnergyVille, today announced an improvement of its 4cm2 perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaic module achieving a power conversion efficiency of 23.9 percent. Reaching this level, imec is the first to achieve a module-on-cell stack that outperforms the standalone silicon solar cell. Perovskite solar cells have many desirable properties, as they can achieve a high power conversion efficiency, are inexpensive to produce, and have a high absorption efficiency in sunlight. The material can be engineered to result in various optical and electronic properties. Additionally, perovskite solar cells or modules may also be used to boost standard silicon (Si) solar technology when engineered to absorb a spectral range that is complementary to the optical range of silicon cells. By stacking the perovskite solar cells or modules on top of Si solar cells, power conversion efficiencies above 30 percent can potentially be achieved, thereby surpassing the efficiencies of the best single junction Si solar cells. In 2016, imec presented for the first time a semi-transparent perovskite module, developed in collaboration with Solliance, stacked on top of an interdigitated back-contact (IBC) crystalline silicon solar cell in a four-terminal tandem configuration, thereby achieving an overall power conversion efficiency of 20.2 percent on an aperture area of 4cm2. Imec now reports a significant improvement of this technology resulting in a record high power conversion efficiency of 23.9 percent for the module-on-cell stack of this size.”

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