A perovskite solar cell (a crystal structure designed to harvest higher energy photons) has been layered on top of a silicon solar cell, which captures more photons in the infrared part of the spectrum (made up of radiant energy we can’t see, but can feel as heat). The combination raises a 21% silicon solar cell up to an efficiency of 27%–increasing it by a third. Perovskites are inexpensive, not energy intensive to make and easy to create. Even after 1000 hours–or almost 42 days–of intensive light and heat testing, these new solar cells showed minimal change in their initial efficiency.
Story Source: University of Colorado at Boulder
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200306183155.htm