IIT-Bombay Startup Builds India's Most Efficient Solar Cell

In a significant advancement for India's renewable energy sector, a startup that IIT Bombay has created a highly efficient tandem solar cell that has the potential to revolutionize the solar industry in the country.

The initiative, helmed by ART PV India, achieved a record smashing conversion efficiency of 29.8%, establishing it as one of the most sophisticated solar technologies to be developed in India.

The new solar cell is a perovskite and silicon tandem structure in a 2-terminal monolithic configuration, which is a state-of-the-art approach that utilizes a larger portion of the solar spectrum. As opposed to traditional solitary solar panels which peak just under 20% efficiency, this development will generate much more power per unit area. This could mitigate both space and cost dependencies of solar installations.

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Union Minister Pralhad Joshi called the invention a "game-changer" for India, with its ability to lower the cost of solar energy.  The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has provided IIT-Bombay over ₹200 crore for photovoltaic research, and ₹83 crore for a pilot manufacturing unit for ART PV India.

This development is in line with India's clean energy goals, and the promotion of indigenous innovation under its 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' scheme. The Indian government also intends to invite private players for a large production run of this technology, taking it from lab-scale success to commercial deployment.

If the solar technology is effectively scaled up, it may pave the way for significant energy self-reliance, and help cement India's position as an international solar energy leader.