Improved efficiency silicon solar cell module

Abstract

This paper describes a solar cell module efficiency of 22.3% independently measured at Sandia National Laboratories. This is the highest ever confirmed efficiency for a photovoltaic module of this size achieved by cells made on any material. This 787-cm/sup 2/ module used 40 large-area double-layer antireflection coated PERL (passivated emitter, rear locally-diffused) silicon cells of average efficiency of 23.1%. The double-layer coating, together with an improved cell structure and a shingled encapsulation technique, considerably contributed to this efficiency improvement. Also reported is an independently confirmed efficiency of 23.7% for a 21.60-cm/sup 2/ cell of the type used in the module, the highest efficiency ever reported for a silicon cell of this size.