New Solar Coating by Oxford Scientists Boasts 27% Efficiency

Scientists at Oxford University Physics Department have developed a new power-generating material that can be coated on the surface of almost any building or common object, the university announced on Friday.

The ultra-thin, flexible material uses a multi-junction approach, stacking multiple light-absorbing layers into one solar cell to harness a wider range of the light spectrum. It has been independently certified by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) to deliver over 27% energy efficiency.

“During just five years experimenting with our stacking or multi-junction approach we have raised power conversion efficiency from around 6% to over 27%, close to the limits of what single-layer photovoltaics can achieve today,” said Dr. Shuaifeng Hu, a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University Physics, expressing the expectation that efficiencies exceeding 45% could be achieved.