Sharp Sets New Record for Solar Cell Efficiency
By Serkan Toto
September 6, 2010
And now Sharp has apparently made a step forward regarding the first factor: the company says
it has developed a solar cell that has the world’s highest efficiency of 42.1%, breaking the record
of Spectrolab of the US.
The American company’s triple-junction solar cells convert “just” 41.6% of sunlight into
electricity. Sharp’s models have been developed together with Japan’s top college, the University
of Tokyo. According to Sharp, the next step is to produce solar cells with 45% efficiency by
2014 and 50% efficiency by 2025.
The company also said that at 45% efficiency, the cost of generating solar power is about the
same as the cost for power coming from thermal and nuclear power plants. It now plans to
commercialize its new solar cells as quickly as possible.
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