An increase in the efficiency of solar panels may be on the horizon, as research from The Australian National University (ANU) reduces their current limita­tions. The researchers have found a way to improve the performance of silicon photo­voltaic. This is done through the addition of passi­vating contacts between the metal and silicon parts of the solar cell, making it more productive.  

“These findings will help push the performance of silicon solar cells closer to their theo­retical limit,” PhD candidate Mohamed Ismael said. “Each day, the sun produces significantly more energy than needed to power the whole planet. The only limita­tion is our ability to economi­cally convert it to electricity,” he said. As it stands, solar cells aren’t operating at their maximum capacity due to substantial elec­trical losses associated with the direct contact of metals with silicon.  

“Transition metal oxides such as titanium oxide have many qualities that make them ideal as passivating contact layers,” Lachlan Black said. “This isn’t a new idea, but the way in which we combined these layers has produced better results and higher operating voltages than anything previously reported.” The research team is hoping to develop the techno­logy to a point where it can be applied to indus­trial solar cells on a large scale.  

The PV market is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with silicon solar cells contributing to 95 per cent of all commercial solar cells. They are predicted to remain dominant for the fore­seeable future given their advan­tageous properties compared to competitors. “If successful, we could see our techno­logy in almost all new solar panels installed on your roof or utility-scale solar plants,” Black said.  

Some practical issues still need to be addressed before the tech­nology can be implemented, but the PV community is already working to solve these challenges. “Improving the effi­ciency of solar cells guarantees more clean energy at a reduced cost. This not only helps to address climate change, but opens up new economic oppor­tunities for this low-cost clean energy,” Ismael said. (Source: ANU)

Reference: M. M. Shehata et al.: Outstanding Surface Passivation for Highly Efficient Silicon Solar Cells Enabled by Innovative Al_yTiO_x/TiO_xElectron-Selective Contact Stack, RRL Solar 6, 2200550 (2022); DOI: 10.1002/solr.202200550

Link: School of Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia