Title :
Improved efficiency silicon solar cell module
Author :
Zhao, Jianhua ; Wang, Aihua ; Abbaspour-Sani, E. ; Yun, Fei ; Green, Martin A.
Author_Institution :
Photovoltaics Special Res. Centre, New South Wales Univ., Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract :
This paper describes a solar cell module efficiency of 22.3% independently measured at Sandia National Laboratories. This is the highest ever confirmed efficiency for a photovoltaic module of this size achieved by cells made on any material. This 787-cm/sup 2/ module used 40 large-area double-layer antireflection coated PERL (passivated emitter, rear locally-diffused) silicon cells of average efficiency of 23.1%. The double-layer coating, together with an improved cell structure and a shingled encapsulation technique, considerably contributed to this efficiency improvement. Also reported is an independently confirmed efficiency of 23.7% for a 21.60-cm/sup 2/ cell of the type used in the module, the highest efficiency ever reported for a silicon cell of this size.
Keywords :
antireflection coatings; elemental semiconductors; encapsulation; modules; passivation; semiconductor device packaging; silicon; solar cell arrays; solar cells; 22.3 to 23.7 percent; PERL cell; Si; Si solar cell module; antireflection coated cell; double-layer coating; efficiency improvement; large-area cells; passivated emitter; photovoltaic module; rear locally-diffused type; shingled encapsulation technique; Coatings; Encapsulation; Energy conversion; Hydrogen; Laboratories; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Silicon; Solar power generation; Surface resistance;
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
