Researchers from the University of Queensland have set a new world record for solar cell efficiency, unveiling a tin halide perovskite (THP) solar cell with a certified record efficiency of 16.65%. This achievement marks a significant step forward in sustainable energy innovation.

Led by Professor Lianzhou Wang, the research team comprised of the University of Queensland’s School of Chemical Engineering and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. The team has broken new ground with their eco-friendly THP solar cell, and the latest energy efficiency rating is nearly a percentage point higher than the previous record for this type of solar cell.

“It might not seem like much, but this is a giant leap in a field that is renowned for delicate and incremental progress,” Professor Wang says.

“The reading is in line with many silicon-based solar cells currently on the market, but with the potential to be cheaper and quicker to make. We are thrilled with the record and to be contributing to the progress of cost-effective renewable energy technology.”

The breakthrough comes five years after his lab set a benchmark for power conversion efficiency in solar cells using another type of technology, quantum dots. According to Dr. Dongxu He, a research group member, many of the methods, processes and materials used to set the quantum dot record in 2020 inspired efforts to improve the performance of the highly promising THP thin-film solar cells.

“There is great commercial potential in THP solar cells because perovskite devices are more sustainable to produce than silicon-based solar cells,” Dr. He says.

“The benefits of THPs are that we’re dealing with more eco-friendly tin and not the toxic lead that is widely used in most of the perovskite solar cells, meaning they can be safely installed around the home.”