KRICT sets world record with 20.6% efficient large-area perovskite solar cells
No technology previously had achieved over 20% efficiency in practical applications.
A dvancements are rapidly increasing across multiple types of solar cells to achieve superior power conversion efficiency. In this arena, a Korean institute has set a new record for large-area perovskite solar module efficiency.
Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) and UniTest Co jointly developed a technology to produce highly efficient, large-area perovskite solar cells (over 200 cm²) that achieved a certified efficiency of 20.6%. The new technology broke the previous world record of 19.2% held by UtmoLight.
Fraunhofer Institute in Germany officially certified the record that was listed in “Champion Module Efficiency Chart” of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Commercialization of perovskite solar cells
KRICT plans to advance the commercialization of perovskite solar cells by utilizing this breakthrough technology in partnership with UniTest Co. Ltd.
KRICT claims that with UniTest, it’s preparing for mass production of
perovskite solar cells for various applications, such as indoor photovoltaic products, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and other functional devices, with some products expected to reach the market this year.
The research team at KRICT optimized its in-house material synthesis methods, film uniformity by scalable processes, and laser ablation control, resulting in a certified efficiency of 20.6% for large-area perovskite solar modules (>200㎠), significantly surpassing the previous record of 19.2%.
Theoretical efficiency limit for large-area perovskite solar cells
“The theoretical efficiency limit for large-area perovskite solar cells is estimated to be around 27% when considering realistic loss mechanisms. However, no technology previously had achieved over 20% efficiency in practical applications,” said KRICT in a press release.
“Improving efficiency entails various tasks such as optimization of device structure, tailoring properties of materials, uniform coating, and laser processes, which are challenging to achieve consistently across large-scale devices.”