Qcells
Assembly Line
☀️ Qcells Achieves World Record Efficiency for Commercially Scalable Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cell
Qcells, a premier provider of complete energy solutions and a leader in the global solar market, has achieved a new world record, reaching 28.6% for tandem solar cell efficiency on a full-area M10-sized cell that can be scaled for mass manufacturing. This incredible result was achieved having only begun large-area tandem development in 2023, as major solar manufacturers across the world attempt to reach this level of efficiency with perovskite technology.
Qcells’ 28.6% certified record efficiency, independently verified by the CalLab at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), brings the industry one step closer to commercializing solar technology that is more powerful and affordable. Qcells’ new record for tandem solar efficiency is based on perovskite technology of the top cell and proprietary Q.ANTUM technology of the bottom cell. The value is a total-area measurement on a full-area M10-sized (roughly .36 square feet or 330.56 cm2) cell produced on Qcells’ R&D pilot line in Germany using a standard industrial silicon wafer that can be interconnected into an industrial module. This approach to tandem development focuses on commercial processes and tools that readily scales to mass manufacturing rather than attempting to show a proof of concept in a lab scale environment.
⚡️ NexWafe claims ‘transformative’ wafer production tech could compete with China
NexWafe claims its ‘transformative’ wafer production tech could compete with China. The company uses direct “gas-to-wafer” epitaxial technology to produce its solar wafers, which offers “significant cost savings” compared with conventional CZ production. This technology removes the need for wafer sawing, reducing material waste and allowing for thinner and smoother wafers. NexWafe’s epitaxial surfaces can have 10 nanometers roughness, making them suitable for developing solar PV in space and the next generation of tandem solar technology. The company is planning to build a 6GW wafer facility in the US and is working with Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries on a pilot production line in India.