Oxford PV achieves 26.9% efficiency with residential-size module

Solar technology developer Oxford PV has achieved a new world record in solar module efficiency with their 60-cell residential-size module.

The module, which is produced with Oxford PV’s perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells, has achieved an efficiency of 26.9%.

According to a company release, this surpasses the current best silicon module's ~25% with a similar designated module area and will enable homeowners, utilities and commercial customers to benefit from upwards of 20% more power with the same footprint.

The efficiency was independently measured and certified by the Fraunhofer CalLab.

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By 2027, installed solar capacity is poised to surpass that of coal and will represent half of the world’s installed power generation capacity by 2050. An efficiency increase of this scale could therefore be transformative for the decarbonisation of power systems.

David Ward, CEO of Oxford PV, commented, "Oxford PV’s record-setting module represents a significant advancement for solar power generation. Homeowners along with commercial and utility customers will all benefit from upwards of 20% more power with the same footprint. Not only does this save installation costs, it also speeds up the decarbonisation journey and can contribute to the global energy transition in a meaningful way."

The Oxford PV team achieved an efficiency record of 25% on an industrial-size module in January this year.

Said Chris Case, chief technology officer at Oxford PV: "For the past decade, the team has continued to demonstrate the potential for perovskite on silicon tandem solar cells, setting and breaking efficiency records along the way. Now, we are taking the next steps to bring this high-efficiency solar technology into commercial use to support our vision of an all-electric future.”

The breakthrough double-glass module has a designated area just over 1.6m² and weighs under 25kg, making it suitable for residential applications.

Oxford PV produces the proprietary high efficiency tandem solar cells at its manufacturing facility in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, and uses both in-house and contract services for the module assembly.