SANYO Develops 21.6 Percent Efficient HIT Solar Cell

SANYO Develops 21.6 Percent Efficient HIT Solar Cell

SANYO and the Clean Energy Company have jointly developed a HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer) solar cell that has the highest power generation efficiency among practical size cells available (at the research level). The new HIT solar cell is 10 cm square, nearly the same size as solar cells currently used for home and industrial applications.

According to in-house measurements, the SANYO HIT solar cell has achieved an efficiency level of 21.6 percent. The efficiency level was achieved by optimizing the design for transparent electrodes, lowering the current collector's resistance level, improving the aspect ratio and improving the cell's junction formation.

Until now, 21.3 percent was the highest efficiency level delivered by a SANYO HIT solar cell.

Published 03/31/2005