Good news! However, since 2018 the efficiency of kesterite was only improved by 2.2 percentage points to now 13.2%. It seems, the latest improvement has not yet been published in a scientific journal.
According to Google AI search result: "A typical silicon photovoltaic cell has an efficiency ranging from around 20% to 22%. While research-grade cells can reach higher efficiencies, commercially produced silicon solar panels usually fall within this range."
"UNSW researchers have achieved a world record energy conversion efficiency of 13.2% for high-bandgap kesterite (CZTS) solar cells with a laboratory scale cell that had been enhanced with hydrogen.
CZTS, a compound of copper, zinc, tin and sulfur, is a high-bandgap thin film, flexible material suitable that offers a promising alternative to the more widely studied perovskite as a tandem top-cell candidate because it is environmentally friendly, cost-effective to manufacture, and is known to maintain its performance over a long period."
"... team ... have achieved a best-ever efficiency of 13.2% for high bandgap kesterite solar cells, which had been enhanced with hydrogen. ...
“The tricky part is controlling the defects that are introduced during that process. What we have shown in this work is that introducing hydrogen can ensure those defects have less of an impact – which is known as passivation.
“Because hydrogen is modulating the defects within CZTS, that’s what helps increase its efficiency
hopeful the new breakthrough will accelerate the chances of CZTS reaching 15% efficiency within the next year, and expects its commercialisation by 2030. ..."
From the abstract:
"Wide-bandgap kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 offers an economically viable, sustainably sourced and environmentally friendly material for both single-junction and tandem photovoltaic applications.
Nevertheless, since 2018 the record efficiency of such solar cells has stagnated at 11%, largely due to carriers recombining before they are collected.
Here we demonstrate enhanced carrier collection in devices annealed in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. We find that hydrogen is incorporated mainly in n-type layers and on the absorber surface. Furthermore, we show that the hydrogen treatment triggers the out-diffusion of oxygen and sodium from the absorber bulk to the surface, favourably diminishing the acceptor concentration at the surface and increasing the p-type doping in the bulk. Consequently, Fermi-level pinning is relieved and carrier transport in the absorber is facilitated.
We achieve a certified efficiency of 11.4% in Cd-free devices. Although hydrogenation already plays a major role in silicon photovoltaics, our findings can further advance its application in emerging photovoltaic technologies."
World-record photovoltaic efficiency achieved for kesterite solar cell (original news release) "UNSW researchers have set a new best mark for a kesterite (CZTS) solar cell which could be a long-term, sustainable and cost-effective add-on or replacement for silicon-based panels."
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