Key Findings
ART-PV India, a startup incubated at IIT Bombay, has achieved a remarkable 29.8% conversion efficiency in laboratory tests with its innovative two-terminal monolithic tandem solar cell. This groundbreaking device combines three distinct semiconductor materials: perovskite, silicon, and Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), signifying a major step forward in high-efficiency photovoltaic technology.
Technical / Clinical Details
The 2-terminal monolithic tandem cell developed by ART-PV India utilizes multiple layers of materials with different bandgaps to efficiently absorb a broader spectrum of sunlight. In this design, a high-efficiency perovskite layer is placed on top, followed by a silicon layer, and then a CdTe layer. This configuration allows each material to capture light at the wavelengths it absorbs most effectively. By doing so, the technology aims to overcome the physical conversion efficiency limits (Shockley-Queisser limit) of single-material cells, significantly boosting theoretical efficiency. The achieved 29.8% conversion efficiency substantially surpasses the efficiency of many current commercial silicon solar cells, indicating broad applicability from large-scale solar farms to residential panels. A key aspect of this technology’s design is its emphasis on high compatibility with existing photovoltaic infrastructure, which lowers adoption barriers and enhances its market potential.
Background & Context
Reducing costs and improving the performance of solar power are primary drivers for the global energy transition. Tandem solar cells are one of the most promising approaches to surpass the physical limits of single-junction devices, leading to intense research and development efforts worldwide. While perovskite-silicon two-layer tandems have been prevalent, ART-PV India’s three-layer composite structure—perovskite, silicon, and CdTe—represents a novel direction aimed at achieving even higher efficiencies. For countries like India, which are experiencing rapidly increasing energy demands, the development of such high-efficiency solar cell technologies holds strategic significance, directly contributing to energy independence and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Strategic Significance & Outlook
ART-PV India’s achievement of 29.8% efficiency in its tandem cell holds the potential to set a new performance benchmark for the solar photovoltaic industry. If this technology can be mass-produced at a commercial scale, it will further drive down the cost of solar electricity and accelerate its widespread adoption. Investors will closely monitor how effectively this technology can be scaled from laboratory achievements to large-scale production and whether it can establish long-term stability and cost competitiveness. For engineers, the reliability and manufacturing process of this complex tandem structure will be key focus areas, with future expectations for its integration into repowering existing solar PV systems and deployment in new, high-performance installation projects.
Source: https://yourstory.com/2026/08/art-pv-tandem-solar-cells
Get our weekly technology intelligence — free
Receive an infographic that lets you judge at a glance whether each field’s analysis report is worth reading.
Subscribe Free — Weekly Tech Intelligence
By subscribing, you’ll receive Troy-Technical’s weekly technology intelligence newsletter.
- Your email and selected fields are used only to deliver the newsletter.
- We never share your information with third parties.
- You can unsubscribe anytime via the link in each email.
See our Privacy Policy for details.
Takes about a minute · Unsubscribe anytime
Comments