World-record: 26.4% efficiency from new flexible solar cell could enable next-gen drones
Scientists at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) have developed a new type of ultra-thin, flexible solar cell that has shattered world records for efficiency, paving the way for a new generation of integrated electronics.
The team achieved an independently certified power conversion efficiency of 26.4% for their tandem solar cell, a landmark achievement that makes it the most efficient cell of its kind in the world.
This new technology is not only powerful but also lightweight and pliable, solving the long-standing challenge of integrating solar power into unconventional surfaces.
“Perovskite and organic semiconductors both offer widely tunable bandgaps, enabling tandem cells to approach very high theoretical efficiencies,” said the researchers in a press release.
“However, the absence of efficient NIR thin-film absorbers – which help to capture sunlight in the NIR region more efficiently and hence improve the overall efficiency of tandem cells - has kept perovskite-organic tandem cells lagging behind alternative designs.”
Addressing issues with tandem design
The researchers tackled this issue by stacking two specialized solar layers in a "tandem" design. While the top layer, made from a perovskite material, is excellent at capturing visible light, the team’s secret weapon is a newly engineered organic bottom layer.
This layer contains a custom-designed molecule, dubbed P2EH-1V, that is exceptionally effective at absorbing light from the near-infrared spectrum, a portion of sunlight that is largely wasted by many other solar technologies.
“Ultrafast spectroscopy and device physics analyses confirmed that this design achieves high free charge carrier collection with minimal energy loss,” asserted the press release.
"These findings mark the highest certified performance to date among perovskite–organic, perovskite–CIGS, and single-junction perovskite cells at comparable size," the research team announced, highlighting the significance of their achievement. In their own labs, the cells performed even better, reaching 26.7% efficiency on a 1 cm² surface.
Could advance several fields
“With efficiencies poised to exceed 30 per cent, these flexible films are ideal for roll-to-roll production and seamless integration onto curved or fabric substrates,” remarked Assistant Professor Hou Yi, a researcher at SERIS.
“Think self-powered health patches that harvest sunlight to run onboard sensors, or smart textiles that monitor biometrics without the need for bulky batteries.”
Beyond wearable technology, the team sees immense potential for powering devices where weight is a critical factor.
“Thanks to their lightweight and flexible form factor, perovskite–organic tandem solar cells are ideally suited to power applications that are run directly on devices such as drones, wearable electronics, smart fabrics and other AI-enabled devices,” noted Hou Yi.
The record-breaking efficiency, combined with the potential for low-cost, high-volume "roll-to-roll" manufacturing, signals that a future powered by truly portable and integrated solar energy is rapidly moving from the lab to reality.
“In the next phase of their research, the team will focus on enhancing real-world operational stability and advancing towards pilot-line manufacturing - crucial steps in bringing flexible, high-performance solar technology to market,” concluded the press release.
