NREL interactive chart of solar cell efficiency now including ‘hybrid tandems’

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has updated its Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart with the inclusion of a new cell category – Hybrid Tandems.

“This category collects record tandem cells with layers composed of two different PV materials. Some subcategories of Hybrid Tandems (Perovskite/Si and Perovskite/CIGS) were already present in the previous format under ‘Emerging PV,’ whereas others (III-V/Si and Perovskite/organic) are new,” the research institute said in a statement. “All of these subcategories have been moved into the new Hybrid Tandems category—with the exception of perovskite/perovskite tandems, which are listed under Emerging PV.”

The NREL stressed that all these changes are now reflected in the interactive chart. The tool highlights the highest confirmed conversion efficiencies of research cells for a range of PV technologies.

“Everything up to the end of 2023 is included,” a spokesperson from the research institute recently told pv magazine, noting the chart also includes important results achieved in the first quarter of this year.

The chart now includes the 33.9% world record efficiency achieved in November by Chinese manufacturer Longi for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell and the 27.09% efficiency achieved by the same company for a heterojunction back contact solar cell. Furthermore, it comprises the 23.64% efficiency achieved in March by U.S.-based thin-film module maker First Solar for a solar cell based on copper, indium, gallium and diselenide (CIGS) technology.

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