Chased Down The World's "Best" Solar Cells

What has me cranked up at the moment is NPN Gallium Arsenide 900 PIV transistors.

2 milliohm junctions, and up to 120 amp rating. The end of mechanical relays for high amperage DC. No more heat sink issues. Battery management miracles. But let's not talk about price. They are a product of CREE. The idea of silicon carbide LEDs is enticing. New tech is arriving.

Hi Mex,

The best of the best right now are 6 junction cells. 41.7% efficient under 143 suns and they said that they have achieved an efficiency rate of 39.2% under one-sun illumination.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/04/14/six-junction-iii-v-solar-cell-with-47-1-effiency/

I don't think I want to know the price.

jdc1 wrote:
Top three panels made:
SunPower (you'll pay a premium for this product)
Panasonic
LG
They all have 25 year warranties. Panasonic panels are made in the USA. They have been in business since 1918.

There are other solar panels that use the sunpower solar cells..Bougerv is one..I just watched a video on there site of there 170 watt panel($179) and Hobotech got 168 watts out of the 170 watt panel...I am not sure if this panel uses the same sunpower cells as there flexible but 168 out of 170 is pretty awesome..

Currently they changed there panel to 180 watts and it's not shipping yet but it does have my attention as I need a permanent solar panel for my new battery in my TC.

I usually get 65-75%.

2oldman wrote:

jaycocreek wrote:
.., the charging efficiency can be up to 23.7%.

"can be up to" probably means at cold temperatures in noon sun. The wattage on panels is almost never reached either.

In using my Jackery 100 watt portable panels, I have gotten 82 watts off of one 100 watt panel, but mostly 70 watts and below depending on many things and an amature trying to get angles correct..

Being kinda new to solar and panels,I really put my attention to actual hands on and not advertised numbers..As I have mentioned,Hobtech compares panels side by side on input only changing the connections..Everything is exactly the same.

That's the only way to tell in my opinion which one grabs the most solar..

Gallium Arsenide is what cell phones use instead of silicon.
I purchased stock in Triquint Semiconductor many years ago and wish I had kept it.

Gallium arsenide is very expensive to manufacture. When and if manufacturing costs are ever substantially reduced then our current solar technology would become obsolete. (Which seems to be the way of electronics.)

Stanford University 2015 report

Top three panels made:
SunPower (you'll pay a premium for this product)
Panasonic
LG
They all have 25 year warranties. Panasonic panels are made in the USA. They have been in business since 1918.

I actually do not know but I was somewhat surprised to see Renogy was only 21% and they "say" that most of the panels are sub 20%..

jaycocreek wrote:
.., the charging efficiency can be up to 23.7%.

"can be up to" probably means at cold temperatures in noon sun. The wattage on panels is almost never reached either.

2oldman wrote:

jaycocreek wrote:
sunpower solar panels with Maxeon cells boast 25% efficiency and even Jackery portable solar panels advertise 23.7% efficiency...

My research shows the best we have is about 22.7%

This is off of Sunpower's site and there 170 watt panel.

Solar Cells Prime monocrystalline
25% efficiency SunPower IBC cells

And this off of the Jackery site.

Made with monocrystalline solar cells, and equipped with adjustable stands, the charging efficiency can be up to 23.7%.