An international team of researchers at the Monash University have built the first high-performance, commercially sized tandem solar cell that does not rely on indium, a scarce and expensive metal.
The researchers replaced indium-based oxide with abundant tin oxide, a material that costs 1% as much, without sacrificing material.
The advance brings next-generation tandem solar cells a step closer to commercial production, offering the potential for cheaper solar panels that generate more electricity from the same amount of sunlight.
By replacing indium with tin oxide using a low-damage reactive plasma deposition process, the researchers created solar cells that achieved 31% certified efficiency in a commercially sized mini-module while also improving durability.
Monash University reports that the devices also withstood heat, humidity, and more than three months of outdoor operation while maintaining strong performance.
Professor Yuan Cheng says this breakthrough unveils a new material paradigm and a highly viable engineering route for low-cost, sustainable, and scalable tandem photovoltaics.
“Ultimately, this work is of paramount strategic importance for propelling the industrialisation and terawatt-scale deployment of next-generation ultra-high-efficiency photovoltaic technologies,” Cheng says.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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