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calvin4224 t1_iy1bsw7 wrote

Reply to comment by a11en in News Release: NREL Creates Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell - 39.5% efficiency by TimeSpentWasting

The Shockley Quiesser theoretical limit for single junctions is at ~33%.

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a11en t1_iy1q8ls wrote

Yes. True. The amount of effort to even approach that and the insane amount of energy in purifying the precursors or chemically creating the precursors is insane. Cradle to grave- the use case is limited. And you’re right we’ll likely never even approach the SQ limit. But even if we did it would still be a losing energy proposition.

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