A Chinese research team recently achieved a breakthrough in the performance of a new thin-film photovoltaic technology, increasing the certified efficiency to 16.6 percent, marking a significant step towards industrialization.
This was conveyed by the Institute of Physics, which is under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
As the global energy transition accelerates and deep-space exploration and space infrastructure development advance, large-scale projects such as low-orbit satellite internet and space-based energy facilities are demanding core requirements for solar technology, such as low cost, long lifespan, lightweight design, and sustainable resource utilization.
The research team from the Institute of Physics, led by Meng Qingbo, focused on the development of CZTSSe photovoltaics, which are composed of common elements such as copper, zinc, and tin.
CZTSSe photovoltaics offer a number of advantages, including abundant resources, low cost, environmentally friendly properties, and resistance to space radiation. This technology is expected to play a significant role in future large-scale energy applications, both on Earth and in space.
The research team successfully overcame several key challenges, including material crystallization, atomic structure, and defect control. They developed an atomic vacancy strategy to direct the orderly positioning of copper and zinc atoms, thereby fundamentally reducing defect activity and internal energy loss.
Based on this progress, the research team also succeeded in developing high-performance flexible cells and modules. The current efficiency of CZTSSe cells, which reaches 16.6 percent, has provided a foundation for industrialization.
The team states that once cell efficiency approaches 20 percent and module efficiency reaches 18 percent, enabling mass production, the technology will become market-competitive and is expected to be widely applied in aerospace equipment and other scenarios.
