Technology
Cubic is enabling the next leap in solar module design, increasing efficiency to extend the era of LCOE reduction for solar energy. For the last 15 years, the solar industry has focused on stripping out manufacturing cost. The next era is about harvesting more of the sun’s energy, and it begins with tandem module technology.
Tandem modules increase conversion efficiency by stacking two solar cells together. Each cell uses a different semiconductor to collect photons from sunlight. Silicon is the ideal material for the bottom cell in a tandem configuration and Cubic’s proprietary perovskite chemistry creates a superior ultra-thin top cell. Together, the two semiconducting materials deliver dramatically more power per square meter.
Perovskite is a breakthrough semiconductor for solar but it degrades quickly. Cubic is producing perovskite that stands the test of time, without incurring cost or efficiency trade-offs. We’re pioneering accelerated aging tests that give developers the assurances they need to deploy new technologies.
Stacking two solar cells is an engineering challenge that requires the right approach. Cubic’s four terminal architecture avoids headaches associated with current matching and allows for coating directly onto glass, rather than the uneven surface of silicon. The resulting architecture is simpler to manufacture and will ultimately deliver better field performance than other approaches.
