Singapore does it again

Singapore broke a world record for the most efficient solar cell. Let’s break down what that means.

This is Yi Hou. He’s been researching solar technology and writing publications since 2017.

In March of 2024, Yi Hou and his team developed the most effective solar panel, totaling a 27.1% efficiency.

The average solar panel has around 15-20% efficiency. The most effective solar panel until this moment in history was 26.6%. That was developed by Japanese researchers in 2017.

What does percentage efficiency mean?

A solar panel is made up of a collection of solar cells. If a solar cell has 15% efficiency, then that cell converts 15% of the sunlight it collects into energy. Yi Hou’s team broke the world record and achieved 27.1%.

This level of efficiency sounds low. But, the cost to build a solar farm is much cheaper than other forms of energy production.

How did they do it?

1. Triple-Junction Solar Cell: Think of a solar cell like a sandwich. A triple-junction solar cell is like a sandwich with three layers. Each layer catches sunlight in a different way. When you stack these layers, you get more energy from the sun.

2. Perovskite and Silicon: The top layer of our sandwich is a material called perovskite. It’s like a sponge for sunlight. The bottom layer is silicon, which is also good at catching sunlight.

3. The Breakthrough: Yi Hou’s team mixed a new ingredient: “cyanate” into the perovskite layer. This made the solar cell stable and more efficient.

What does this mean for solar energy?

• Solar panels can be more efficient with the space that they use. We don’t want a planet covered in solar panels.

• The economics is starting to make more sense. As we learn to extract more energy from the sun, we will also end up doing it cheaper. And energy farmers will be able to drive more profits.

• Energy efficiency averages are expected to get closer to 30-40% by 2030.

What’s next?

Solar is super exciting. Production costs are decreasing, and solar cell efficiency is rising. It’s only a matter of time before solar power becomes the new norm over gas.

Just like how it’s only a matter of time before you subscribe to Voltaic News. We inform the masses about innovations in green tech. This is something that you’ll want to keep an eye on.

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