Improving efficiency of solar photovoltaic cells takes months,
sometimes years. The last few days, however, have been very interesting
as three different companies announced record-breaking efficiencies. Two
of the cells even have the same technology.
Trina Solar, one of the leading solar PV modules manufacturers, announced on April 24 that it had set a new world record
for high efficiency p-type multi-crystalline silicon PV modules. Trina
Solar’s Honey Plus multi-crystalline silicon module reached a new module
efficiency record of 19.14%. The efficiency was independently confirmed
by the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar
Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT) in Wuxi, China.
On April 27, Germany-based Manz announced that it had achieved
16% efficiency in copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar modules.
This efficiency was achieved in commercially mass-produced solar PV
modules. Manz managed to transfer the 21.7% world-record efficiency it
had achieved in laboratory cells in September last year. The efficiency
of the modules was verified by TUV Rheinland.
On April 28, Taiwan-based TSMC Solar announced
that it achieved efficiency of 16.5% in commercially produced CIGS
modules, bettering the Manz’s record made the day before. TSMC also
improved upon its own previous record of 15.7% efficiency, achieved in
2013. The efficiency record for TSMC modules was verified by TUV SUD.
All three efficiency records seem to be associated with mass-produced
solar PV modules and there remains huge potential to further increase
the efficiency. Trina Solar also holds the world record for efficiency
for lab-based multi-crystalline silicon PV modules. That record
currently stands at 20.8%.
For CIGS modules, it seems that First Solar and Manz jointly hold the
record with 21.7% efficiency for modules produced in research labs.
Image Credit: Manz
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/01/3-solar-cell-efficiency-records-just-4-days/
No comments:
Post a Comment