Like many other industries, the solar industry suffered from setbacks brought about by the coming of the COVID-19 pandemic and the after effects. After initially suffering from constraints imposed on the supply chain by lockdown restrictions, increase in shipping cost and hike in prices for key commodities, the industry bounced back in 2021 almost spectacularly.
The efficiency of a solar panel is a measure of the amount of incident sunlight that is converted into electricity. In other words, a solar panel module rated 25% efficient only converts 25% of the total sunlight that falls on its surface into usable electricity. A major determinant of efficiency is the type of material and technology used in making the solar cells. Advances in solar technology has seen a continuous rise in efficiency ratings of mass-marketed solar panels from just 12% to almost 24%. Yet, this falls short of the promise of solar panels with higher efficiency.
Much of the solar industry research and development effort revolves around developing more efficient solar cells. The necessity of developing more efficient solar cells is decided by the need to harvest more electricity from the solar cells per installation space. Here are three of the most exiting innovations in solar panel technology made by the solar industry in 2021.
1. Researchers at the Australian National University developed a bifacial silicon solar cell with an efficiency of 24.3% on the front and 23.4% on the rear, for a world-record-breaking output efficiency of up to 30%. Australia plays a significant role in the solar technology research and development. While it represents a major leap, it is still not clear how this plays out on an industrial scale but it promises to open new doors.
2. Chinese manufacturers JinkoSolar and LONGi both surpassed solar conversion efficiencies of 25% of their panel offerings in 2021. Research and development giants, LONGi Solar held the world record with its HJT solar cell, at 25.26% until September when Australian start-up SunDrive stole away the record with a solar cell with an efficiency of 25.54%. The new technology replaces the expensive silver used in making busbars and fingers of conventional solar cells with a 100 times cheaper and much more abundant metal, copper. This could greatly reduce the manufacturing costs of solar panels and in turn their market price.
3. In 2021, a UK solar company Oxford PV set a new efficiency record for its perovskite solar cells at a staggering world-record-breaking 29.52%. Oxford PV perovskite solar cell edged out at least three world records. First, the one held by South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) at 25.2%. Second, the one held by researchers at MIT in February. And third, an improved record by UNIST and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) at 25.6%
The construction of a first perovskite manufacturing site was expected to be completed in July 2021. However, due to delays, Oxford PV is expected to flood the market this year with their new panel. The new line of panels will be made by coating silicon cells with a layer of perovskite to increase its efficiency. Other manufacturers are expected to follow Oxford PV into the perovskite market this year.
A conventional solar cell is made from silicon. In a perovskite solar cell, a lightweight calcium titanium oxide mineral, and a group of inorganic compounds are used instead either in making the wafers or in coating a silicon wafer. Perovskite solar cells are the latest big attraction of the solar industry. The leap in efficiency rating with this new technology will be key for the growth of renewable energy. Analysts are calling it the solar cell technology of the future.
The renewable energy industry, led by a dynamic solar industry that is supported by new technologies, sustained research and development efforts, effective business models, innovative policies and access to capital, is a juggernaut that can be trusted to lead the world into its green energy future.