Analysis for efficiency potential of high‐efficiency and next‐generation solar cells

• Published in: Progress in photovoltaics 2018-08, Vol.26 (8), p.543-552
• Main Authors: Yamaguchi, Masafumi, Lee, Kan‐Hua, Araki, Kenji, Kojima, Nobuaki, Yamada, Hiroyuki, Katsumata, Yasuhiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadmium tellurides; CdTe; CIGS; Copper indium gallium selenides; Crystal structure; crystalline Si; Crystallinity; CZTS(Se); Dye-sensitized solar cells; Efficiency; external radiative efficiency; Gallium arsenide; Gallium selenides; Group III-V semiconductors; Heterojunctions; III‐V multijunction; Indium gallium arsenides; Industrial applications; MQW and QD; Organic chemistry; perovskite; Perovskites; Photovoltaic cells; Quantum dots; R&D; Research & development; Selenium; Silicon compounds; Silicon wafers
• ISSN: 1062-7995; 1099-159X
• DOI: 10.1002/pip.2955

This paper overviews photovoltaic R&D projects in Japan. Recently, world‐record and second highest efficiencies of various types of solar cells have been demonstrated under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization Project: 44.4% (under concentration) and 37.9% (under 1 sun) InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs inverted metamorphic 3‐junction solar cells by Sharp, 26.7% single crystalline Si heterojunction back‐contact solar cell by Kaneka, 22.3% copper indium gallium selenide solar cell by Solar Frontier, a‐Si/μc‐Si/μc‐Si thin‐film triple‐junction solar cell with stabilized efficiency of 14.0% by AIST, 11.9% dye‐sensitized solar cell by Sharp, and 11.2% organic solar cell by Toshiba. This paper also presents efficiency potential of high‐efficiency and next‐generation solar cells analyzed by considering external radiative efficiency, open‐circuit voltage loss, and fill factor loss. Efficiency potential of crystalline Si, GaAs, III‐V compound 3‐junction and 5‐junction, CIGSe, CdTe, CZTS(Se), multiquantum well, and quantum dot and perovskite solar cells is shown to be 28.5%, 29.7%, 40%, 43%, 26.5%, 26.5%, 20%, 25.8%, and 24.9% under 1 sun, respectively. This paper gives a brief technology overview of state‐of‐the‐art and future‐generation solar cells. By breaking down the sources of efficiency loss of each type of solar cells, their potential efficiencies are projected.