The year 2025 has marked a historic turning point for the global photovoltaic (PV) industry. According to a new report published in the journal ENGINEERING Energy , the industry has transitioned into an era of "extreme efficiency optimization," with new world-record power conversion efficiencies (PCE) established for silicon, perovskite, and organic solar cells, as well as high-performance tandem configurations.
The editorial, authored by solar energy experts from Shanghai Jiao Tong University , highlights how fierce competition and technological innovation have pushed the boundaries of what was previously thought possible in solar harvesting.
The N-Type Dominance: Silicon Hits New Heights Silicon solar cells continue to lead the market, with annual production reaching approximately 600 GW in 2025. The report details a comprehensive industry-wide shift: n-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) technology now commands over 93% of the market share, completely superseding the older p-type PERC technology.
Efficiency milestones in the silicon sector include:
Perovskites and Tandems: Breaking the Single-Junction Barrier Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have seen rapid advancement toward commercial viability. Small-area single-junction perovskite cells reached a milestone efficiency of 27.3% , narrowing the gap between laboratory results and theoretical potential.
The most significant breakthroughs occurred in tandem structures, which combine multiple materials to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight:
Organic Solar Cells Cross the 20% Threshold For the first time, organic solar cells (OSC)—noted for their flexibility and low manufacturing costs—have surpassed the 20% efficiency barrier. The report highlights a record PCE of 20.82% for single-junction organic cells and 21.5% for tandem organic structures. These gains were made possible through the development of novel ternary systems and advanced crystallization sequence manipulation.
A Future of Integrated Energy "The year 2025 has redefined industry competition," the authors state. Beyond just yield, the focus is now on precision manufacturing, nanometer-scale interface control, and computational optimization. As costs continue to fall, these efficiency gains are expected to accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy.
Journal Reference Information
JOURNAL: ENGINEERING Energy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-026-1050-8
Article Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11708-026-1050-8
Cite this article: Shen W, Zhao Y, Liu F. Highlights of mainstream solar cell efficiencies in 2025. ENGINEERING Energy, 2026, 20(1): 10508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-026-1050-8
Frontiers in Energy
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Highlights of mainstream solar cell efficiencies in 2025
18-Feb-2026