Enhancing Efficiency and Reliability of III‐V/Si Tandem Solar Cells in 2T Configurations Using Albedo Effect

ABSTRACT This study addresses current‐matching limitations in two‐terminal (2T) III‐V/Si tandem solar cells due to a fully back‐metalized III‐V top cell. Two solutions are proposed: increasing the silicon bottom cell area and enhancing rear‐side illumination using the albedo effect. The III‐V/Si tandem cell achieved 25.1% efficiency via area optimization and 35.3% efficiency using 0.3 Sun albedo illumination, with a J SC of 12.3 mA/cm 2 , V OC of 3.3 V, and FF of 87.1%. PVsyst simulations reveal a 49% higher annual energy yield over conventional silicon modules and 23% more than III‐V‐only modules. The results confirm that leveraging reflected light significantly enhances bottom‐cell performance in 2T configurations. Additionally, the high operating voltage introduces challenges such as potential‐induced degradation (PID), material breakdown, and fire risk. The study emphasizes operation and maintenance strategies including advanced diagnostics, thermal imaging, and design adherence to international safety standards. This work highlights a practical and efficient design path for integrating high‐efficiency III‐V materials with cost‐effective silicon technologies for real‐world photovoltaic systems.

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Publication Details

Journal
Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications
Published
2025-12-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.70040
Primary Topic
Silicon and Solar Cell Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Enhancing Efficiency and Reliability of III‐V/Si Tandem Solar Cells in 2T Configurations Using Albedo Effect

Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications
Silicon and Solar Cell Technologies
article

Enhancing Efficiency and Reliability of III‐V/Si Tandem Solar Cells in 2T Configurations Using Albedo Effect

article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study addresses current‐matching limitations in two‐terminal (2T) III‐V/Si tandem solar cells due to a fully back‐metalized III‐V top cell. Two solutions are proposed: increasing the silicon bottom cell area and enhancing rear‐side illumination using the albedo effect. The III‐V/Si tandem cell achieved 25.1% efficiency via area optimization and 35.3% efficiency using 0.3 Sun albedo illumination, with a J SC of 12.3 mA/cm 2 , V OC of 3.3 V, and FF of 87.1%. PVsyst simulations reveal a 49% higher annual energy yield over conventional silicon modules and 23% more than III‐V‐only modules. The results confirm that leveraging reflected light significantly enhances bottom‐cell performance in 2T configurations. Additionally, the high operating voltage introduces challenges such as potential‐induced degradation (PID), material breakdown, and fire risk. The study emphasizes operation and maintenance strategies including advanced diagnostics, thermal imaging, and design adherence to international safety standards. This work highlights a practical and efficient design path for integrating high‐efficiency III‐V materials with cost‐effective silicon technologies for real‐world photovoltaic systems.

Progress in Photovoltaics Research and ApplicationsVol. 34(4)
Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning
Openalex Percentile: Top 47%
Silicon and Solar Cell Technologies
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