Concentrator solar cell has best-yet conversion efficiency of 44.4%

(Image: Sharp Corp.)

Osaka, Japan--Sharp Corporation has created a concentrator triple-junction compound photovoltaic (PV) cell that it says has the world's highest conversion efficiency of 44.4% (the number was confirmed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany at a concentration of 302X) as of June 14, 2013. The solar cells are used in a lens-based concentrator system.

The Sharp research was done as part of the the "R&D on Innovative Solar Cells" project promoted by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Compound PV cells typically offer high conversion efficiency by using photoabsorption layers made from compounds of multiple elements, such as indium and gallium. Sharp's concentrator triple-junction compound solar cells have a stack of three photoabsorption layers, the bottommost of which is made from indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs).

To achieve the high efficiency, Sharp worked to widen the effective concentrator cell surface and ensure uniformity of width at the interface of the connecting concentrator cell and electrodes.

Because of their high conversion efficiency, compound solar cells have thus far been used primarily on space satellites. Sharp aims make the use of compound solar cells more feasible in terrestrial applications.

Source: http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/130614.html