Very high efficiency solar cell (VHESC) for portable applications that operate at greater than 55 percent efficiency in the laboratory and 50 percent in production are being created. By co-designing the optical interconnect and solar cell design a dramatic increase in the design space for high performance photovoltaics in terms of materials device structures and manufacturing technology is observed. The benefits of this approach include increased theoretical efficiency new architectures which circumvent existing material/cost trade-offs improved performance from non-ideal materials device designs that can more closely approach ideal performance limits for existing solar technology (including silicon solar cells) reduced spectral mismatch losses and increased flexibility in material choices. An integrated optical/solar cell allows efficiency improvements while retaining low area costs and hence expands the applications for photovoltaic solar power.
The benefits of this approach include increased theoretical efficiency new architectures which circumvent existing material/cost trade-offs improved performance from non-ideal materials device designs that can more closely approach ideal performance limits for existing solar technology (including silicon solar cells) reduced spectral mismatch losses and increased flexibility in material choices. An integrated optical/solar cell allows efficiency improvements while retaining low area costs and hence expands the applications for photovoltaic solar power.