Organic photovoltaic cell breaks conversion efficiency world record
08-02-2016 | By Paul Whytock
A new world record conversion efficiency of 13.2% for an organic photovoltaic OPV multi-junction cell for the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity has been achieved by research and development teams at Heliatek, a spin off from the Technical University of Dresden and the University of Ulm and a specialist in large area OPV solar film.
This new record efficiency level was measured at simulated AM 1.5 illumination and was confirmed by the Fraunhofer Centre for Silizium-Photovoltaik CSP, a recognised centre for independent verification of solar cell performance results under standard testing conditions.
The world-record cell is a multi-junction cell combining three different absorbers. Each of them is dedicated to efficiently convert green, red or near-infrared light of the wavelength range between 450 and 950 nm into electricity.
Because of the very good low light and high temperature behavior of the organic semiconductor the electricity generation of the newly developed cells corresponds to the output of conventional solar cells with 16 to 17% efficiency when both are under real world conditions.
From Heliatek's point of view this record result demonstrates its continuous progress from 3% to more than 13% efficiency over the last 10 years.
The company also says it supports its roadmap towards 15% efficient organic solar cells and provides technical validation of it's use of vacuum deposition of small molecules on plastic films.
