The world-record rate was achieved by solar panels tested outdoors in Sydney, Australia, and was then confirmed independently by researchers using them in the US. “This is the highest efficiency ever reported for sunlight conversion into electricity,” said Martin Green,

“We used commercial solar cells, but in a new way, so these efficiency improvements are readily accessible to the solar industry,” added Mark Keeves, who manages the project.

Right now, the most efficient solar cells are only converting around 33 percent of sunlight into electricity. But instead of just using one solar cell, the new technology works by splitting sunlight into four different cells. It also uses a custom optical bandpass filter to capture sunlight that is normally wasted – the filter works by reflecting particular wavelengths, while transmitting others. These cells were then used on a solar tower – a set-up that uses Sun-tracking mirrors to focus sunlight onto a solar panel-covered tower – where the record-breaking efficiency rate was recorded.

Green is also hoping that in the future these cells will be used in rooftop solar panels, which right now only have an efficiency rate of around 15 to 18 percent.

“The new results are based on the use of focused sunlight, and are particularly relevant to photovoltaic power towers being developed in Australia,” says Green.

The breakthrough will be published soon in the journal Progress in Photovoltaics, and is being presented today at the Australian PV Institute’s Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference at UNSW Engineering. Read more about the research being done at UNSW Engineering.