Aussie engineers set world record that could lower solar panel costs

Australian engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have set a new world record for antimony chalcogenide solar cells, achieving a certified efficiency of 10.7%, the highest independently verified result globally. This breakthrough addresses a long-standing efficiency plateau that had persisted since 2020. The key innovation involved introducing a small amount of sodium sulfide during fabrication, which corrected the uneven distribution of sulfur and selenium in the solar-absorbing layer. This uniformity eliminated internal energy barriers that previously hindered electrical charge flow, thereby significantly improving the solar cell's performance. Antimony chalcogenide is a promising material for next-generation tandem solar cells, which stack multiple layers to capture different parts of the solar spectrum and boost overall efficiency. It is composed of abundant, low-cost elements and offers advantages such as high light absorption, inorganic stability, and low-temperature manufacturing, making it a cost-effective and durable alternative to existing materials. Beyond tandem solar panels, its ultrathin and