Flexible solar cells meld technologies

Scientists have fabricated a flexible solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 21.5 percent. The project is a collaboration of Solliance and MiaSolé Hi-Tech Corp., an article in Off Grid Energy Technology reports.

The new cell uses two thin-film solar cell technologies to create a four-terminal tandem solar cell stack consisting of a flexible semi-transparent perovskite solar cell on top and a flexible copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cell on the bottom. The perovskite solar cell was deposited on a flexible, transparent substrate, used transparent conductive electrodes, and was optimized for transparency to allow the majority of infrared light to reach the bottom CIGS cell.

MiaSolé Hi-Tech’s CIGS cell is based on commercially available flexible, high-efficiency solar cell technology fabricated on stainless steel foil.

CIGS technology has already produced flexible, lightweight cells and modules that can be used where heavy, rigid panels cannot. Combining CIGS and perovskite technologies has the potential to further expand the horizon of customizable solar applications.

The companies are exploring how to increase efficiency and scale the technology for commercial cells and modules.