A residential-sized solar panel has set a new world record by converting sunlight into electricity much more efficiently. This incredible result is over 7% better than any other available module, representing enormous progress in solar technology.
(Sunlight) Oxford PV made it
UK start-up Oxford PV used tandem cells with advanced generations that include perovskite—a material not seen before in this context—to work alongside traditional silicon panels and improve their performance overall.
The Perovskite-on-Silicon Tandem Cell
Oxford PV’s ground-breaking perovskite-on-silicon tandem cell achieved an efficiency of 26.9%, 7.5% greater than even the best silicon modules on the market today. The two types of solar cells share electrons when combined, meaning they are better together.
Sunlight Perfect for Homes
The panels weigh less than 25kg and measure just 1.6 square meters – ideal for housing use, especially as they could be retrofitted onto existing roofs without needing reinforcement or additional installation work. Oxford PV created these specifically for this purpose, which knew that homeowners wanted something practical but powerful enough to generate electricity at home from sunlight.
What did the CEO say?
CEO David Ward said: “Our record-setting module is a game changer for solar power generation. This solution significantly improves the efficiency and performance of traditional silicon-based panels through unique properties of perovskite.”
Where does it fit?
This news follows close behind reports from China stating that commercial scale (or so-called “mega”) sized panels have reached an unprecedented 34.6% conversion rate. However, this achievement is not as significant because it doesn’t affect average people directly as what happened here does.
Why Perovskite Rocks
Perovskite is hailed as a miraculous substance. It has an unmatched ability to turn light into electricity due mainly to its high sunlight absorption rate. It is also relatively cheap and easy for manufacturers to work with, making scaling up solar energy solutions more viable than ever before Sunlight.
What (Sunlight) next?
Creating tandem cells by using perovskite in combination with silicon opens many doors to the future potential of clean energy production from sunlight; this could see efficiency records shattered as R&D continues apace across all corners of the globe where these kinds of things are happening!
The Sunlight Bottom Line
This record-breaking panel created by Oxford PV represents an enormous leap forward when it comes down to generating power at home using only natural lighting resources like those provided by our Sun every day without fail – we can now get much more out of them, too, thanks mainly to materials such as perovskite. Innovations like this derate just how vital they are if we want everyone on Earth (and beyond) to access affordable, sustainable electricity supplies throughout their lifetime, no matter where or who they are.
