New Record in PV Solar Cell Efficiency

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New Record in PV Solar Cell Efficiency

The University of Delaware and associates have achieved solar cell efficiency of almost 43% from sunlight in normal terrestrial conditions.

The current record for solar cell efficiency is 40.7% was announced only last December. The consortium will continue working to achieve an interim 50% target efficiency. They believe that much higher efficiency rates are achievable.

The highly efficient solar cells use a novel optical system that splits light into three different energy levels and focuses them onto cells of differing light sensitive materials to cover the spectrum. An interesting feature is that the concentrator is stationary and has a wide-angle optical system that captures large amounts of light and eliminates the need for complicated tracking devices.



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