Solar Scientists Break 10% Barrier After 4-Year Standstill

Scientists at the University of New South Wales just achieved something the solar industry has been chasing since 2020: they pushed antimony chalcogenide solar cells past 10% efficiency, hitting a certified 10.7%.

That might sound like a small number, but it represents a major win for clean energy. This material could become a key ingredient in tomorrow's solar panels, which will stack multiple layers to capture more sunlight than ever before.

The research team, led by Professor Xiaojing Hao, discovered the problem was hiding in plain sight. The elements inside the material, sulfur and selenium, weren't distributing evenly during production.

Lead researcher Chen Qian compared it to driving up a steep hill versus cruising on flat road. "When the distribution of the elements inside the cell is more even, then the charge can move more easily through the absorber rather than being trapped," he explained.

The solution came from an unexpected source: adding a tiny amount of sodium sulfide to the mix. This simple additive smoothed out the bumpy energy landscape inside the material, letting electrical charges flow freely instead of getting stuck.

Antimony chalcogenide has several advantages that make researchers excited. It's made from abundant materials, can be manufactured at low temperatures, and works perfectly for ultra-thin designs. These qualities make it ideal for mass production at lower costs than current technologies.

Why This Inspires

This breakthrough matters because it opens doors for tandem solar cells, the next frontier in solar technology. These stacked designs capture different wavelengths of light, converting more sunlight into electricity than single-layer panels ever could.

Professor Hao points out that researchers worldwide are racing to find the perfect partner material to stack with traditional silicon cells. "Each material has its own pros and cons, and I don't think there is an ideal top cell candidate yet," she said. "Antimony chalcogenide is one of those and very positive."

The team isn't stopping at 10.7%. They're already working on chemical treatments to reduce defects in the material further. Qian believes they can push efficiency to 12% in the near future by tackling remaining challenges one step at a time.

What makes this research especially hopeful is the methodical approach. Instead of chasing dramatic leaps, the scientists are steadily solving problems, each solution building on the last. It's the kind of patient, persistent work that powers real progress in renewable energy.

The future of solar power might just be getting brighter, one percentage point at a time.