Keeping on the topic of solar electricity today, a team of researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed a solar cell with record efficiency. Under 1-sun global illumination, the efficiency has been recorded at 39.5%. This new number is a record for solar cell efficiency.

The study has been published in the journal Joule.  

The lighting conditions given during testing matched those of just the sun. Earlier experimental solar cells have attained efficiencies of 47.1%, but they also did so under concentrated light. The world record was achieved in 2019 with the 47.1% mentioned. Scientists then used multi-junction concentrator solar cells.

Scientists went into experimentation with the goal of potential use in space. While in space, the solar cells would be used to power communication satellites.

"The new cell is more efficient and has a simpler design that may be useful for a variety of new applications, such as highly area-constrained applications or low-radiation space applications."

Myles Steiner, a senior scientist in NREL's High-Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics Group, said.

Read more on the science behind the technological marvel HERE