Solar Junction, a Silicon Valley-based firm that develops multi-junction concentrating photovoltaics (CPV), set a new world record in commercial-ready solar cell power conversion efficiency.
The company’s previous record was set at 43.5 percent at 418 suns back in April 2011, which is now broken by its latest efficiency achievement measured at 44 percent at 947 suns. That’s more than double of the best performing crystalline PV cells.
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has verified both world records.
Credit: Solar Junction
“Breaking our own world record cements Solar Junction as an innovator and leader in the multi-junction cell space,” said Solar Junction VP for Technology Vijit Sabnis. “We continue to push technological boundaries to further drive CPV costs down,” he added.
Solar Junction uses multi-junction cells in their CPV modules that focus sunlight through concentrated optics. The new record showcases the value of the company’s proprietary A-SLAM (Adjustable Spectrum Lattice Matched) materials, which provides CPV manufacturers a unique method to deliver the most efficient conversion of solar energy to electricity.
Solar Junction was awarded a $5 million SUNPATH (Scaling Up Nascent Photovoltaics at Home) two-year grant from the Department of Energy in August as part of the Obama Administration’s SunShot Initiative to support adoption of solar technology.
With an $15 million in additional private sector funding, the company plans to grow from 5 MW to 40 MW yearly in manufacturing capacity, and is expected to achieve faster record-breaking efficiency with its plans to reach 50 percent within five to seven years.
