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Panasonic has made a significant breakthrough in solar cell technology by developing a high-performance crystalline silicon solar cell with an area exceeding 100 cm², achieving a world-leading conversion efficiency of 24.7%. This is 0.5% higher than the previous record set by US-based SunPower in 2010, which stood at 24.2%. While the theoretical maximum efficiency for crystalline silicon cells is around 29%, practical applications typically reach up to 25–26%, making this achievement a major step forward. Panasonic noted that this result has helped identify and address more than 25% of the challenges in improving efficiency, and they are now aiming to push the boundaries even further.
The new record was achieved using the "HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer) Solar Cell" technology. This design features a heterostructure composed of amorphous silicon layers on both sides of a single-crystal silicon wafer. The amorphous silicon layers help reduce crystal defects on the surface of the silicon, minimizing recombination losses and allowing for higher voltage output. However, these layers, along with the transparent conductive film and surface electrodes, can block some sunlight, making it harder to increase current. Despite this challenge, Panasonic managed to overcome these limitations and achieve impressive results.
In 2011, Panasonic's HIT solar cells with a thickness of just 98 micrometers had a conversion efficiency of 23.7%. By 2012, this improved to 23.9%. A key factor in this progress was increasing the aspect ratio of the electrodes and reducing light absorption by the transparent conductive film, which boosted the short-circuit current density from 38.9 mA/cm² to 39.5 mA/cm². This small but crucial improvement contributed significantly to raising the overall efficiency by 0.8 percentage points.
SunPower, known for its back-contact solar cell design, has traditionally excelled in maximizing current output due to the absence of surface electrodes. Their 2010 cell achieved a short-circuit current density of 40.46 mA/cm². Panasonic’s recent achievement brought their current density close to this level, demonstrating that there is still room for improvement in current performance.
Although Panasonic has surpassed SunPower in R&D efficiency, it still lags behind in mass production. Currently, Matsushita’s commercially produced units have a conversion efficiency of 21.6%, while SunPower has already reached 24.2% in mass production. This highlights the gap between lab-scale innovation and real-world manufacturing capabilities.
As the global demand for clean energy continues to rise, companies like Panasonic and SunPower are at the forefront of pushing the limits of solar technology. With ongoing research and development, we can expect even greater improvements in efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the near future.