[ad_1]
A major solar panel maker claims its latest cell technology can convert almost a third of the sun’s energy hitting it into electricity. This cell is one and a third times more efficient than the best residential solar panel.
But if you’re shopping for solar panels for your home, you probably don’t need to worry about that.
JinkoSolar’s perovskite tandem solar cell set a new efficiency record for its specific type of cell, the company announced last week.
The 33.24% efficiency rating for an n-type TOPCon based perovskite tandem cell looks miles ahead of the efficiency rating CNET reported a few weeks ago when Maxeon announced its new the most efficient solar panel Maxeon 7, recording just under 25%.
However, experts say the two technologies are not the same and should not be compared. “The test results of new cells cannot be compared to the real-world performance of a currently available commercial panel, especially when they use very different technologies,” said Chuck Kutcherlead author of Accelerating the U.S. Clean Energy Transformation and contributing author to Zero Carbon Action Plan 2020 by the United Nations Network for Sustainable Development Solutions.
Kutscher, who also spent four decades as a renewable energy researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) said that Jinko’s “performance rating is only for a single tandem cell consisting of two different cell designs.” The Maxeon 7’s 24.9% efficiency rating, he said, is for the entire panel with more than 100 monocrystalline silicon solar cells connected together.
The Jinko tandem panel is composed of a perovskite layer. It is laid on layer of monocrystalline silicon. It works by absorbing one part of the solar spectrum from the top layer, while the monocrystalline silicon layer absorbs another part of the solar spectrum, Kucher said.
“Arranging two different cells that collect different parts of the solar wavelength spectrum is a long-recognized way to increase efficiency, but it comes at a higher cost, so the tandem design of this Jinko cell makes it more expensive than the single-cell design typical of residential panels,” Kucher said.
Perovskite cells like the one used in the Jinko Tandem solar cell do not have a proven track record in this field and have not yet demonstrated the long-term durability of silicon cells, Kutscher said.
This is a close-up view of a high-efficiency solar cell made from a monocrystalline silicon wafer. The contact grid is made of busbars (large strip) and fingers (small strips). When light hits it, it releases electrons, which turn into an electric current. A grid of wires collects the electrons. This is what a residential solar rooftop panel looks like.
The bottom line is that efficiency records for individual solar cells are being broken all the time. Kutscher says that the efficacy, durability and cost of an entire solar panel which are relevant for residential installations. “It’s always encouraging to see new efficiency records set for different types of solar cells, but it may take some time for new cells to become successful commercial products, and they may never make that transition.”
Jinko makes several different residential solar panels that are now available for rooftops. All have a decently high efficiency of just over 22%. CNET found however, the guarantees are mediocre.
For more information on which solar panel is the best or which The panel is the most efficient CNET ranks and rates for you based on criteria such as efficiency, temperature coefficient, power and warranty.
The Maxeon 7the present reign the most efficient solar panel for homesIt is expected to be available in the US in the third quarter of 2024, the company said in a press release.
[ad_2]
