(Invited) Progress with Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Modules at SERIS

Abstract

Despite their maturity and market dominance, crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells and modules continue to develop rapidly, with increasing efficiencies and reducing cost ($/W). This contribution describes recent progress at SERIS with industrially relevant crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, covering both p-type and n-type cells. Since the costs of the solar cells and modules as a proportion of the costs of complete PV systems continue to fall, a premium is placed on cell efficiency as this reduces the balance of system (BOS) cost (in $/W) of PV systems. Thus, cost-effective monocrystalline high-efficiency silicon solar cells such as SERIS’ 23.5% efficient passivated-contact technology (“monoPolyTM”) have enormous market potential. Good progress is also being made in the SERIS laboratory with small-area perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, giving efficiencies of over 25% in 4-terminal configuration. Keywords: Solar energy, photovoltaic devices, crystalline silicon solar cells, PERC solar cell, monoPolyTM solar cell, passivated contacts, perovskite solar cells, perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells.