Record efficiency achieved with perovskite and organic tandem solar cells
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 04, 2024
Researchers at the University of Potsdam have unveiled a tandem solar cell combining perovskite and organic materials that sets a new efficiency benchmark of 25.7%. This advancement leverages low-temperature processing methods to reduce the carbon footprint while maximizing energy absorption across the solar spectrum.
The new solar cell employs two materials that absorb distinct parts of sunlight: perovskites capture blue and green wavelengths, while a novel organic layer targets red and infrared wavelengths. These tandem designs optimize the use of sunlight for higher efficiency compared to traditional technologies like silicon or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), which require high-temperature processing and have a greater environmental impact.
Felix Lang, a lead researcher on the project, explained that achieving this efficiency required two key innovations. “This was only possible by combining two major breakthroughs,” Lang said. The first was the development of an organic solar cell by Meng and Li, which extended infrared absorption capabilities. “Still, tandem solar cells were limited by the perovskite layer, which shows strong efficiency losses if adjusted to absorb only blue/green parts of the sun spectrum,” Lang explained.
To overcome this, the team applied a novel passivation layer to the perovskite. This isomeric diammonium passivation layer addresses material defects, significantly enhancing the overall performance of the tandem cell.
The study, titled “Isomeric diammonium passivation for perovskite-organic tandem solar cells,” is now published in *Nature*.
Related Links
University of Potsdam
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com
