Dyesol achieves solar cell breakthrough

Dyesol, an Australian-listed cleantech company, claims to have achieved a ‘game changing’ technical breakthrough by achieving a solid-state DSC efficiency of 11.3% at full sun. The breakthrough comes as the technology transitions from liquid-based to solid-state systems to meet the demands of product life and mass manufacture, according to Dyesol.

The variation in technology, known as mesoscopic solar cells, meets the technical challenges of mass manufacturing building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products and will allow Dyesol and its multinational commercialisation partners to confidently address the multibillion-dollar global market.

In 2010, solid-state DSC performance was at a mere 5%, significantly lagging the performance of liquid-based systems. However, the subsequent technical advancement has been nothing short of revolutionary.

Dyesol, through the work of its scientist Dr Peng Qin, based at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, has achieved solid-state DSC laboratory efficiency of 11.3%. The company is also confident of achieving industrial efficiencies greater than 10% because of the added simplicity of working with solid-state systems. At this level of module performance, the technology will be grid competitive - the ‘Holy Grail’ for renewable energy technologies.

This achievement is particularly important in solar markets where light conditions are suboptimal, such as Europe, North America and North-East Asia, where Dyesol technology has a considerable advantage over first- and second-generation photovoltaic technologies.

Chairman Richard Caldwell said: “The business case for solar remains compelling; however, there is every reason to question which technologies will emerge from the current solar industry maelstrom as winners. Today’s announcement represents a quantum leap for Dyesol and its commercialisation partners and we look forward to a rapid transition from the laboratory to the production line.”

Dyesol has been working closely with research and development partner the EPFL. DSC inventor and EPFL Professor Michael Graetzel is speaking at the HOPV Conference in Seville, Spain, this week where he will be discussing some of the latest technological developments.