China has surpassed South Korea’s Qcells to set a new world record for large-area perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell efficiency. The development, announced by a Chinese research team, reclaims the country's dominance in solar technology after Qcells achieved 28.6% efficiency last year using a perovskite layer atop silicon.
The new Chinese panel boasts an efficiency above that benchmark, though exact figures were not disclosed by the source. For context, high-end commercial solar panels typically operate at 21% to 23% efficiency, making tandem cells a critical pathway to slashing project costs and reducing land use for utility-scale solar farms.
This breakthrough rests on China's vast manufacturing infrastructure and aggressive investment in perovskite research. The country already dominates global solar supply chains, controlling over 80% of polysilicon production and most panel assembly lines. A next-generation perovskite advantage could further entrench its market position.
Qcells had previously captured the lead in September 2023 with its 28.6% tandem cell, developed at its R&D center in Germany. That achievement underscored South Korea's ambition to challenge China's solar supremacy by licensing Hanwha's advanced cell architecture to Western project developers.
Geopolitically, the race for perovskite efficiency carries high stakes. The U.S. and Europe, wary of dependence on Chinese solar imports, have invested heavily in domestic tandem cell startups. If China's new record translates into mass production, it could undermine Western efforts to build an independent solar supply chain.