New designs and approaches to solar are coming out weekly, but scientists have yet to attain the holy grail of 50 percent efficiency. Solar cells typically convert about 15 to 25 percent of the energy from sunlight into electricity—though 44.7 percent efficiency has been achieved in labs. A company from North Carolina called Semprius has come up with a way to stack solar cells that will lead to the 50 percent efficiency scientists are looking for. Semprius’ design uses tiny solar cells, just millimeters in diameter, to reduce cost of cooling and increase efficiency. Semprius then stacks semiconducting materials, up to three, on top of a fourth solar cell. This design has been able to reach 44.1 percent efficiency. Semprius says that 50 percent efficiency will be achieved in the next five years.
Stacked solar cells make solar power cheaper than natural gas
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