Four-Junction Cell Reaches 43.6 Percent at 319 Suns

Soitec, the French-German consortium, has achieved 43.6 percent conversion efficiency using a new four-junction cell at a concentration of 319 suns.

The test was confirmed by the Fraunhofer Institute. The cell, developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer and the Helmholtz Center in Berlin along with the French CEA-Leti in Grenoble, uses two new dual-junction sub cells grown on different III-V compound materials, to allow band-gap tailoring to a broader range of the spectrum.

The cell is designed to operate at concentrations of 250 to 500 suns.