But that manufacturing innovation hasn't been matched on the basic research side; it's been over a decade since the last time anyone set a new efficiency record for silicon cells.
The material in question is gallium arsenide, which can be fashioned into solar cells with efficiencies twice those of silicon
What about this breakthrough doubling the typical solar panel efficiency to 44.7%? Isn't it based on silicon solar panels, too?
No, anything in that range of efficient is a multi-junction cell. Multi-junction cells use a range of layered materials, each tuned to a narrow spectrum in which they can convert more efficiently than silicon, for instance.
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What about this breakthrough doubling the typical solar panel efficiency to 44.7%? Isn't it based on silicon solar panels, too?
http://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en/press-and-media/press-releas...
No, anything in that range of efficient is a multi-junction cell. Multi-junction cells use a range of layered materials, each tuned to a narrow spectrum in which they can convert more efficiently than silicon, for instance.