The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) measured the efficiency of 41% at 500x suns concentrated sunlight.
Spire Semiconductor had started working with NREL under an 18-month, cost share subcontract of $3.7m in early-2009. The goal is to develop a triple junction, gallium arsenide (GaAs), with a 42.5% conversion efficient ‘Triathlon’ concentrator cell for concentrator PV systems.
Roger Little, chairman and CEO of Spire, said: “We have experienced continuous improvement in our proprietary cell processing design technology throughout the NREL contract.
“We are excited to have matched the current world record efficiency, and we have nearly four months remaining under the subcontract to surpass this level and achieve the target 42.5% efficiency. A more efficient concentrator solar cell will provide a lower cost and more reliable source of solar generated electricity.”
