Researchers at IIT Bombay have achieved a significant breakthrough in solar energy technology with the development of a high-efficiency tandem solar cell. This innovative technology promises to enhance power conversion efficiencies and reduce the cost of solar electricity, making clean energy more accessible.
The tandem solar cell utilizes a combination of halide perovskite in the top layer and silicon in the bottom layer. This design enables the solar cell to convert a broader spectrum of sunlight into electricity, achieving power conversion efficiencies of approximately 30%, a substantial improvement over conventional silicon-based solar cells.
This entirely Indian-made technology uses readily available domestic raw materials. IIT Bombay, in collaboration with ART-PV India, aims to produce commercial wafer-sized solar cell solutions by December 2027. This initiative is supported by the Maharashtra government and is expected to significantly boost India's self-reliance in renewable energy.