CIGS thin film solar cells create 20.3% new efficiency

ZSW, a German research institute for solar and hydrogen energy, recently announced that the photoelectric conversion efficiency of its copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells has reached 20.3%. This record was confirmed by the German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Franhofer ISE). The record-setting CIGS solar cell area is 0.5 square centimeters and its thickness is only 4 microns. ZSW said this new record will reduce the efficiency gap between CIGS and polysilicon solar cells to only 0.1%.

The agency created a 20.1% efficiency record in April this year, breaking the record of NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) for 16 years, and also marking CIGS's battery efficiency exceeding 20% ​​for the first time. “Our researchers used co-evaporation in the lab to make CIGS cells, which can in principle be scaled up for commercial production.”

Dr. Michael Powalla, ZSW's photovoltaic division, said. However, he also said that the commercialization of high-efficiency CIGS thin-film batteries will take some time. According to ZSW estimates, the efficiency of ordinary CIGS batteries will increase from the current 11% to about 15% in the next few years. At the same time, the market share of CIGS thin film solar cells will double in 2012, reaching 30%. ZSW is currently working with WürthSolar to develop CIGS battery technology.