DOE scientists' discovery may boost solar cells' energy output by up to 40%

In what is being called a "surprise discovery," researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found they may be able to boost energy conversion rates in one type of solar module by as much as 40%.

The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Energy.

Using an atomic microscope, the researchers observed multifaceted surfaces like a gemstone in solar cells made with the mineral perovskite. Some of the grains, which were about 200 microns in width, had sharply formed multi-angled facets, while others were poorly formed. The poorly formed facets had energy conversion efficiencies approaching 31%, which beats today's top photovoltaic efficiency rates of 22%.

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