Manoj Jaysankar

Imec, partner in EnergyVille, recently obtained record efficiencies by adding perovskite solar cells on top of conventional silicon and CIGS technology (shown above). For each solar cell semiconductor material, there is an intrinsic limit to how much light can be converted into electricity. For silicon PV technology, for example, that limit is around 30%, and the industrial solar panels are now reaching results that are plateauing some 10% below this limit.

Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells are potentially attractive, inexpensive solutions to surpass the power conversion efficiency limits of market-leading silicon solar cells. While such tandem solar cells have been demonstrated to reach high efficiencies, they require advanced light management to utilise the solar spectrum efficiently. Moreover, an area upscaling with minimal optical losses is necessary to transfer the properties of lab scale devices to commercial scale products.

Thin film perovskite photovoltaic devices combine high power conversion efficiencies with low weight, large area high speed production capabilities and high versatility in form factor. With this paper, an additional feature is added to the device property portfolio: optical transparency.