Sidestepping the efficiency limits of solar power with Cambridge Photon Technology
Optical layer with quantum dots and organic semiconductors could raise power output by up to 20%
When it comes to creating a decarbonised power sector, photovoltaics fit the bill. But even with lowering costs and high investment, the deployment of solar modules is still not currently thought to be fast enough to meet climate targets for 2050. Part of the challenge lies in improving efficiency, but the nature of the technology makes doing that tough. It’s been known since the 1960s that there exists a fundamental cap on efficiency for single-junction cells, known as the Shockley–Queisser limit – around 29% for commercial silicon cells. As researchers inch closer toward this theoretical maximum in the lab, more people are beginning to look for a way around the problem. And that’s where Cambridge Photon Technology comes in; the young company is developing new semiconducting nanostructures in an effort to circumvent the efficiency barrier.