Spectrolab Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., says a solar cell it manufactured has set a new world record for terrestrial concentrator solar cell efficiency. The cell can convert 41.6% of concentrated sunlight into electricity.
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory independently tested the efficiency of the Spectrolab cell in June, validating that it surpassed the previous record of 41.1% held by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.
Produced in February 2008, the new Spectrolab cell is an advanced version of the lattice-matched, triple-junction technology already produced in high volumes for space and terrestrial applications at Spectrolab, the company adds. The new cell incorporates multiple improvements in wafer processing to reduce metal grid shadowing and series resistance, raising the cell's overall efficiency for conversion of sunlight to electricity.
SOURCE: Spectrolab Inc.
