Devices included in this U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory chart of the current state of the art have efficiencies that are confirmed by independent, recognized test labs and are reported from 1976 to the present on a standardized basis. The measurements for new entries are in accord with standard test or reporting conditions as defined by the global reference spectrum for flat-plate devices and the direct reference spectrum for concentrator devices as listed in standards IEC 60904-3 edition 2 or ASTM G173. The reference temperature is 25° C, and the area is the cell total area or that defined by an aperture.
Cell efficiency results are provided for multijunction, single-junction gallium arsenide and crystalline silicon cells, as well as for thin-film technologies and emerging photovoltaics.
The most recent world record for each technology is highlighted along the right edge in a flag that contains the efficiency and the symbol of the technology. The company or group that fabricated the device for each most-recent record is bolded on the plot.
The data can also be accessed in tabular form.
Discover more about photovoltaic technology on GlobalSpec.com.
