High Efficiency Current‐Matched III–V/n‐TOPCon Tandem Solar Cell With System‐Level Energy Output and Loss Analysis

ABSTRACT This study reports a current‐matched two‐terminal (2T) tandem solar cell comprising a GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs triple‐junction III–V top cell with a fully back‐metalized commercial device efficiency of 29.96%. This top cell is integrated with an n‐type tunnel oxide passivated contact (n‐TOPCon) silicon bottom cell, which delivers an efficiency of 22.03%. To mitigate the photon transmission barrier imposed by the fully back‐metalized III–V structure, we first optimize the silicon bottom cell area, achieving an efficiency of 27.41% with current matching at 14.4 cm 2 . A further enhancement is realized by introducing rear‐side albedo illumination (0.3 sun) while maintaining equal top and bottom cell areas as 12.04 cm 2 , resulting in a significantly improved tandem efficiency of 35.33% with J sc = 13.03 mA cm −2 , V oc = 3.58 V, and FF = 75.70%. These experimentally obtained electrical parameters for the Si, III–V, and III–V/Si tandem devices were individually used as inputs in PVsyst simulation software for a 1 MW photovoltaic system. The tandem configuration delivers an annual energy output of 1222.1 MWh to the grid with a performance ratio (PR) of 0.920, surpassing standalone Si and III–V modules. System‐level loss analysis showed Si modules exhibited higher thermal and LID losses, while III–V suffered greater voltage degradation from temperature effects. Furthermore, the tandem configuration exhibited reduced spectral, thermal, mismatch, and wiring losses with stable inverter output demonstrating a practical strategy for high‐efficiency tandem photovoltaics.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications
Published
2026-01-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.70072
Primary Topic
solar cell performance optimization
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

High Efficiency Current‐Matched III–V/n‐TOPCon Tandem Solar Cell With System‐Level Energy Output and Loss Analysis

Maha Nur Aida, Yi Jh, Rafi Ur Rahman, Alamgeer et al.
Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications
solar cell performance optimization
article

High Efficiency Current‐Matched III–V/n‐TOPCon Tandem Solar Cell With System‐Level Energy Output and Loss Analysis

Maha Nur Aida, Yi Jh, Rafi Ur Rahman, Alamgeer, Muhammad Quddamah Khokhar, Hasnain Yousuf
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study reports a current‐matched two‐terminal (2T) tandem solar cell comprising a GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs triple‐junction III–V top cell with a fully back‐metalized commercial device efficiency of 29.96%. This top cell is integrated with an n‐type tunnel oxide passivated contact (n‐TOPCon) silicon bottom cell, which delivers an efficiency of 22.03%. To mitigate the photon transmission barrier imposed by the fully back‐metalized III–V structure, we first optimize the silicon bottom cell area, achieving an efficiency of 27.41% with current matching at 14.4 cm 2 . A further enhancement is realized by introducing rear‐side albedo illumination (0.3 sun) while maintaining equal top and bottom cell areas as 12.04 cm 2 , resulting in a significantly improved tandem efficiency of 35.33% with J sc = 13.03 mA cm −2 , V oc = 3.58 V, and FF = 75.70%. These experimentally obtained electrical parameters for the Si, III–V, and III–V/Si tandem devices were individually used as inputs in PVsyst simulation software for a 1 MW photovoltaic system. The tandem configuration delivers an annual energy output of 1222.1 MWh to the grid with a performance ratio (PR) of 0.920, surpassing standalone Si and III–V modules. System‐level loss analysis showed Si modules exhibited higher thermal and LID losses, while III–V suffered greater voltage degradation from temperature effects. Furthermore, the tandem configuration exhibited reduced spectral, thermal, mismatch, and wiring losses with stable inverter output demonstrating a practical strategy for high‐efficiency tandem photovoltaics.

Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications
Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 81%
solar cell performance optimization
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.