Coal power: be worried
Solar panels have always been our passion
It’s no secret that the Greenforce Solar team have been solar cheerleaders for a long time, so it has been exciting to watch solar cell efficiency creep up bit by bit over the years. Simply put, the efficiency increase means less area is required, with lower associated costs like labour, transport and racks.
This time it is different – a quantum leap in solar cell efficiency
November 7 – The team at Sharp Solar now have a verified 36.9% efficiency for lab cells (tested by an independent team at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology).
This compares to the UNSW ‘factory’ record of 19.3 percent efficiency reached in May for a mass-produced, crystalline silicon solar cell – with most cells on the market as part of solar panels being much lower, between 13% ~ 18%. Clearly, these cells are orders of magnitude more efficient than cells on the market. Coal, we’re coming for you..
The efficiency record was reached using a proprietary triple-junction compound solar cell, in which the solar cell has a stacked three-layer structure. An example of a stacked panel on the market is the SANYO HIT, also available through Greenforce Energy. The challenge now becomes ‘how do we make these panels on an industrial scale’. Unfortunately, standard crystalline solar cells continue to dominate the market.
Where to from here ?
- Read the full press release on Sharp Solar Panels.
- Visit the Sharp HQ webpage
- Get a quote on a home solar power system using the latest technology
