RESEARCH: SHORT COMMUNICATION: ACCELERATED PUBLICATION Solar cell efficiency tables (version 37) Martin A. Green 1 * , Keith Emery 2 , Yoshihiro Hishikawa 3 and Wilhelm Warta 4 1 ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia 2 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, USA 3 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Center for Photovoltaics (RCPV), Central 2, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan 4 Department of Solar Cells—Materials and Technology, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Heidenhofstr. 2, Freiburg D-79110, Germany ABSTRACT Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined and new entries since June 2010 are reviewed. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEYWORDS solar cell efficiency; photovoltaic efficiency; energy conversion efficiency *Correspondence Martin A. Green, ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia. E-mail: m.green@unsw.edu.au Received 12 October 2010 1. INTRODUCTION Since January 1993, ‘Progress in Photovoltaics’ has published six monthly listings of the highest confirmed efficiencies for a range of photovoltaic cell and module technologies [1–3]. By providing guidelines for the inclusion of results into these tables, this not only provides an authoritative summary of the current state of the art but also encourages researchers to seek independent confir- mation of results and to report results on a standardised basis. In a recent version of these tables (Version 33) [2], results were updated to the new internationally accepted reference spectrum (IEC 60904–3, Ed. 2, 2008), where this was possible. The most important criterion for inclusion of results into the tables is that they must have been measured by a recognised test centre listed elsewhere [1]. A distinction is made between three different eligible areas: total area; aperture area and designated illumination area [1]. ‘Active area’ efficiencies are not included. There are also certain minimum values of the area sought for the different device types (above 0.05 cm 2 for a concentrator cell, 1 cm 2 for a one-sun cell and 800 cm 2 for a module) [1]. Results are reported for cells and modules made from different semiconductors and for subcategories within each semiconductor grouping (e.g. crystalline, polycrystalline and thin film). From Version 36 onwards, spectral response information has been included when available in the form of a plot of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) versus wavelength, normalized to the peak measured value. 2. NEW RESULTS Highest confirmed ‘‘one-sun’’ cell and module results are reported in Tables I and II. Any changes in the tables from those previously published [3] are set in bold type. In most cases, a literature reference is provided that describes either the result reported or a similar result. Table I summarises the best measurements for cells and sub- modules, while Table II shows the best results for modules. Table III contains what might be described as ‘notable exceptions’. While not conforming to the requirements to be recognized as a class record, the cells and modules in this Table have notable characteristics that will be of interest to sections of the photovoltaic community with entries based on their significance and timeliness. To ensure discrimination, Table III is limited to nominally 10 entries with the present authors having PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS: RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 2011; 19:84–92 Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/pip.1088 84 Copyright ß 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.