{"id":3421,"date":"2014-02-24T15:41:42","date_gmt":"2014-02-24T05:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=3421"},"modified":"2018-03-19T13:58:55","modified_gmt":"2018-03-19T03:28:55","slug":"skys-limit-solar-cell-innovation-new-breakthrough-aims-50-percent-conversion-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/skys-limit-solar-cell-innovation-new-breakthrough-aims-50-percent-conversion-rate\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky’s the limit for solar cell innovation as new breakthrough aims for 50 percent conversion rate"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"50<\/a>

Yes you read that right : 50%<\/p><\/div>\n

One of our favourite subjects — solar cells and more specifically solar cell innovation and breakthroughs — is covered in this week’s SQHQ spray readers.<\/p>\n

I think I’ve mentioned, in a previous rant in these pages, one of the enduring memories I have of seeing the famous environmentalist\/author\/activist Professor David Suzuki in 2007 was his rhetorical question that kicked off the night: why wasn’t every house in Australia covered in solar panels?<\/p>\n

Coming from a country (Canada) where sun is in shorter supply, he genuinely didn’t understand why we, as a country, didn’t make use of what he considered to be our major asset: the sun.<\/p>\n

The question had a touch of (intentional or unintentional) irony in that it took place at the UNSW, now recognised as one of the world’s leaders in photovoltaics and solar cell innovation.<\/p>\n

But that was around seven years ago and in that short time, Australians have taken to domestic solar systems like ageing film stars to botox. This despite state governments around the country pursuing a “slash and burn” approach to support for renewable energy, particularly solar.<\/p>\n

The chief reasons for this has been reductions how much solar panels cost<\/a> homeowners coupled with solar cell innovation, making constant improvements in the solar cell conversion almost commonplace.<\/p>\n

Now, according to a 22 February article in the eminent The Economist<\/a> (no less!), the University of Illinois, under John Rogers, the US’s PV gold medal favourite for solar cell innovation, is proposing to double the efficiency of solar cells to convert 50 percent of all sunlight that falls on them.<\/p>\n

Rogers recently told the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that the cells already motored along at a cool 42.5 percent and could in time be tweaked to the magical 50 percent conversion mark. This must be the PV version of the four minute mile (to mangle my sporting metaphors completely).<\/p>\n

The cells, which are in fact four cells stacked on top of each other, are currently being tested in a pilot program by the US gee-whizz, go-ahead firm Semprius, who recently announced the world record in PV module efficiency, raising the bar to 35.5 percent (always room for one more sporting metaphor).<\/p>\n

With the current average conversion rate of 15 percent sufficient to power a home, what would 50 percent do? Well for one make the movers and shakers (or is that shifters and quakers?) currently sitting on various fossil fuel boards throughout the country sit up and take notice. Perhaps they’d take time out from their plotting to dismantle the Renewable Energy Target to note how solar cell innovation like that of the University of Illinois is driving the huge takeup of renewable energy in Australia.<\/p>\n

Perhaps a bit harsh there readers, there are some forward-thinking energy companies who embrace and promote renewable energy. Perhaps the subject of a future article?<\/p>\n

Where will solar cell innovation end? What if the 50 percent conversion rate is smashed? Where to then? From an Aussie perspective, how do our world-famous photovoltaic researchers see the challenge? Watch this space folks. By the way, we’ve opened a Pinterest account <\/a>for all Pinterest fans to share the best solar images for our readers. Please join, like us and re-pin to your heart’s content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of our favourite subjects — solar cells and more specifically solar cell innovation and breakthroughs — is covered in this week’s SQHQ spray readers. I think I’ve mentioned, in a previous rant in these pages, one of the enduring memories I have of seeing the famous environmentalist\/author\/activist Professor David Suzuki in 2007 was his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[64,136,63],"class_list":["post-3421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-panels-2","tag-efficiency","tag-solar-cell","tag-solar-panel-technology","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nComing soon: Solar cell innvoation with 50% efficiency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of 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Rowling, the benefits of invisibility cloaks\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Innovations"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Innovations","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-innovations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image credit: http:\/\/harrypotter.wikia.com\/wiki\/Cloak_of_Invisibility","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/inv-cloak.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/inv-cloak.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/inv-cloak.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3592,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panel-innovation-part-one-quantum-dots-solar-windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":3421,"position":1},"title":"Solar panel innovation (part one): quantum dots and solar windows","author":"Staff Writer","date":"April 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Both ends of solar panel innovation are covered in this and next week's solar rants readers. 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How Much Funding Did SunDrive Receive And What's It For? Provided under ARENA's Advancing Renewables Program, SunDrive has been issued a $25.3\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Innovations"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Innovations","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-innovations\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An Australian-made SunDrive solar cell.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sundrive-arena-funding.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sundrive-arena-funding.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sundrive-arena-funding.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sundrive-arena-funding.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sundrive-arena-funding.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5438,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solarworld-launches-bifacial-solar-panels-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":3421,"position":3},"title":"SolarWorld launches bifacial solar panels in US","author":"Staff Writer","date":"March 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"German and US based manufacturer of top quality solar panels,\u00a0Solar World AG launched their new bifacial solar modules in late 2015 at the industry trade show Solar Power International. However it was this month\u2019s announcement of the first rollout of the new SolarWorld solar panels in the United States that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"solar world","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/bifacial-solar-world.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/bifacial-solar-world.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/bifacial-solar-world.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93422,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/tindo-unsw-topcon-mb3233\/","url_meta":{"origin":3421,"position":4},"title":"Tindo Teams Up With UNSW On TOPCon Solar Tech","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"July 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Australia's only solar panel manufacturer, Tindo, is to explore TOPCon solar cell technology in partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) \u2014 where TOPCon was originally developed many years ago. What Is TOPCon? TOPCon stands for Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact. It's an advanced solar cell design enhancing efficiency\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tindo TOPCOn solar cell research","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/tindo-unsw-topcon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/tindo-unsw-topcon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/tindo-unsw-topcon.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/tindo-unsw-topcon.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/tindo-unsw-topcon.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":92632,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/ja-solar-anniversary-mb3205\/","url_meta":{"origin":3421,"position":5},"title":"JA Solar Racks Up 20 Years Of PV Manufacturing","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"June 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"China's JA Solar has been a rather quiet achiever compared to some of its flashier competitors. 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