New multijunction Solar Cell provides 40% efficiency over conventional Solar cells

Researchers at Boeing-Spectrolab have announced that they have created a multi-junction solar cell that achieves an incredible 40.7% efficiency, about twice that of the current most efficient solar cell, that was announced about six months ago by Silicon Valley-based SunPower. Said to be a solar cell capble of achiving 22% efficiency .
But at the announcement SunPower cell, SPR-315 was 50% more efficient than the current industry standard Solar cells used in bringing solar power to homes, industries and even lamp posts.
The new high efficiency multijunction cells have a significant advantage over conventional silicon cells in concentrator systems because fewer solar cells are required to achieve the same power output. This technology will continue to dramatically reduce the cost of generating electricity from solar energy as well as the cost of materials used in high-power space satellites and terrestrial applications.

Spectrolab is reducing the cost of solar cell production through research investments and is working with several domestic and international solar concentrator manufacturers on clean, renewable solar energy solutions. Currently, Spectrolab's terrestrial concentrator cells are generating power in a 33-kilowatt full-scale concentrator system in the Australian desert. The company recently signed multi-million dollar contracts for its high efficiency concentrator cells and is anticipating several new contracts in the next few months.

Development of the high-efficiency concentrator cell technology was funded by the NREL's High Performance Photovoltaics program and Spectrolab.

Tags: multi-junction solar cell, Boeing-Spectrolab, SPR-315, SunPower, Spectrolab, NREL