Power generation from solar PV accounts for an increasing amount of energy produced worldwide. Silicon solar cells dominate the solar industry. These cells rely on precious silver to conduct electricity.
Solar panels account for about 20% of the world’s annual consumption of precious metal silver. Next-generation high-efficiency solar cells in development would require almost three times more silver than currently used.
Now, to create a cheaper alternative, Australian start-up SunDrive has developed the most effective silver-free alternative.
The silver-free solar PV cell uses more sustainable and almost 100 times cheap copper
Although copper doesn’t have the same conductive properties as silver, SunDrive has found a solution.
SunDrive solar cell is the world’s most efficient commercial-sized solar cell with 25.54 percent efficiency. It toppled the previous efficiency record for a commercial-sized silicon solar cell of 25.26 percent held by Chinese company Longi.
SunDrive’s test results were verified by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH). ISFH confirmed that SunDrive has created a world record for the efficiency at which its solar cells convert sunlight to electricity.
