{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "series_id": "nrel-research-cell-efficiency-frontier",
  "source_url": "https://nrel.sitefinity.cloud/media/docs/libraries/pv/cell-efficiency-data-table.xlsx",
  "documentation_url": "https://www.nrel.gov/pv/cell-efficiency.html",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-08-18",
  "workbook_sha256": "d36d268832b3b4b887cc1e8fc6e79730135ae1d81b46c804c27881e1d756a49b",
  "workbook_bytes": 134842,
  "sheet_name": "PIP & NREL data",
  "valid_source_rows": 562,
  "definition": {
    "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
    "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
    "illumination": "one sun or unstated",
    "date_rule": "Use the explicit Measurement Date serial when present; retain month/year mismatches as audit flags.",
    "efficiency_rule": "Combined efficiency, then revised/new efficiency, then original efficiency.",
    "area_rule": "No extra exclusion beyond the official NREL chart category. Area remains a quality dimension; every eligible record in the snapshot is at least 0.1 cm².",
    "testing_center_rule": "Do not exclude historical records with an empty testing-center field; retain the field as a quality dimension.",
    "frontier_rule": "Within each measurement date, keep the highest eligible efficiency; retain it only when it exceeds the prior running maximum."
  },
  "date_audit": {
    "all_mismatches": 1,
    "eligible_mismatches": 0,
    "mismatches": [
      {
        "record_id": "552",
        "measurement_date_serial": "2025-07-01",
        "stated_year_month": "2025-01-01",
        "material_class": "Emerging PV",
        "cell_type": "Perovskite cells"
      }
    ]
  },
  "eligible_summary": {
    "rows": 50,
    "coverage_start": "1977-04-01",
    "coverage_end": "2025-12-17",
    "missing_area": 0,
    "missing_testing_center": 15,
    "area_quantiles_cm2": {
      "min": 0.152,
      "p10": 1.02,
      "median": 4.0145,
      "p90": 244.45,
      "max": 350.2
    },
    "area_types": {
      "Unstated": 16,
      "da": 17,
      "ap": 6,
      "t": 10,
      "ta": 1
    },
    "testing_centers": {
      "Unknown": 1,
      "Unstated": 15,
      "Sandia": 11,
      "FhG-ISE": 14,
      "NREL": 2,
      "ISFH": 7
    },
    "efficiency_bases": {
      "Combined efficiency (%)": 50
    }
  },
  "frontier_summary": {
    "steps": 26,
    "coverage_start": "1977-04-01",
    "coverage_end": "2025-12-17",
    "first_efficiency_percent": 13.938,
    "latest_efficiency_percent": 26.68,
    "latest_record_id": "558",
    "total_improvement_percentage_points": 12.742
  },
  "sensitivity": {
    "area_ge_0_1_cm2": {
      "eligible_rows": 50,
      "frontier_steps": 26,
      "latest_frontier_percent": 26.68,
      "latest_frontier_date": "2025-12-17",
      "frontier_record_ids": [
        "00005",
        "00008",
        "00012",
        "00021",
        "00024",
        "00026",
        "00027",
        "00032",
        "00033",
        "00035",
        "00036",
        "00040",
        "00041",
        "00042",
        "00046",
        "00113",
        "00120",
        "00158",
        "00160",
        "00165",
        "00227",
        "00429",
        "00434",
        "00447",
        "555",
        "558"
      ]
    },
    "area_ge_1_cm2": {
      "eligible_rows": 49,
      "frontier_steps": 26,
      "latest_frontier_percent": 26.68,
      "latest_frontier_date": "2025-12-17",
      "frontier_record_ids": [
        "00005",
        "00008",
        "00012",
        "00021",
        "00024",
        "00026",
        "00027",
        "00032",
        "00033",
        "00035",
        "00036",
        "00040",
        "00041",
        "00042",
        "00073",
        "00113",
        "00120",
        "00158",
        "00160",
        "00165",
        "00227",
        "00429",
        "00434",
        "00447",
        "555",
        "558"
      ]
    },
    "testing_center_stated": {
      "eligible_rows": 35,
      "frontier_steps": 13,
      "latest_frontier_percent": 26.68,
      "latest_frontier_date": "2025-12-17",
      "frontier_record_ids": [
        "00005",
        "00073",
        "00113",
        "00120",
        "00158",
        "00160",
        "00165",
        "00227",
        "00429",
        "00434",
        "00447",
        "555",
        "558"
      ]
    },
    "area_ge_1_and_center": {
      "eligible_rows": 35,
      "frontier_steps": 13,
      "latest_frontier_percent": 26.68,
      "latest_frontier_date": "2025-12-17",
      "frontier_record_ids": [
        "00005",
        "00073",
        "00113",
        "00120",
        "00158",
        "00160",
        "00165",
        "00227",
        "00429",
        "00434",
        "00447",
        "555",
        "558"
      ]
    }
  },
  "frontier": [
    {
      "record_id": "00005",
      "measurement_date": "1977-04-01",
      "stated_month": 4,
      "stated_year": 1977,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "EFG [NASA]",
      "group": "Mobil Solar",
      "efficiency_percent": 13.938,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 1.01,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "Unknown",
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": null,
      "improvement_percentage_points": null
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00008",
      "measurement_date": "1978-02-01",
      "stated_month": 2,
      "stated_year": 1978,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "AM1 [NASA] 100.3 mW/cm2",
      "group": "RCA",
      "efficiency_percent": 15.049,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 1.02,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 13.938,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 1.111
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00012",
      "measurement_date": "1980-01-01",
      "stated_month": 1,
      "stated_year": 1980,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "Back surface field p+-n-n+ AM1 [Sandia]",
      "group": "Sandia National Laboratory",
      "efficiency_percent": 16.059,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 2.0,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 15.049,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 1.01
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00021",
      "measurement_date": "1982-11-01",
      "stated_month": 11,
      "stated_year": 1982,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "AM1 Monocrystalline",
      "group": "Westinghouse",
      "efficiency_percent": 16.665,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 1.004,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 16.059,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.606
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00024",
      "measurement_date": "1983-05-01",
      "stated_month": 5,
      "stated_year": 1983,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "AM1 Monocrystalline",
      "group": "ARCO",
      "efficiency_percent": 18.382,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 1.0,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 16.665,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 1.717
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00026",
      "measurement_date": "1983-10-28",
      "stated_month": 10,
      "stated_year": 1983,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "AM1 MINP",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 18.887,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.01,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 18.382,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.505
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00027",
      "measurement_date": "1983-12-22",
      "stated_month": 12,
      "stated_year": 1983,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "AM, MINP",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 19.2607,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.068,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 18.887,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.3737
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00032",
      "measurement_date": "1985-04-01",
      "stated_month": 4,
      "stated_year": 1985,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "Conventional p-n cell",
      "group": "Spire",
      "efficiency_percent": 19.7051,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.02,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 19.2607,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.4444
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00033",
      "measurement_date": "1985-05-21",
      "stated_month": 5,
      "stated_year": 1985,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "AM1",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 19.998,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 3.99,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 19.7051,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.2929
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00035",
      "measurement_date": "1985-10-15",
      "stated_month": 10,
      "stated_year": 1985,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": null,
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 20.2,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.02,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 19.998,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.202
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00036",
      "measurement_date": "1985-12-11",
      "stated_month": 12,
      "stated_year": 1985,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": null,
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 20.301,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.01,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 20.2,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.101
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00040",
      "measurement_date": "1986-02-07",
      "stated_month": 2,
      "stated_year": 1986,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "ASTM-85",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 20.604,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.02,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 20.301,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.303
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00041",
      "measurement_date": "1986-06-15",
      "stated_month": 6,
      "stated_year": 1986,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "PESC",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 20.705,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 1.01,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 20.604,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.101
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00042",
      "measurement_date": "1986-07-30",
      "stated_month": 7,
      "stated_year": 1986,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "ASTM-86",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 20.806,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.006,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 20.705,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.101
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00046",
      "measurement_date": "1987-06-01",
      "stated_month": 6,
      "stated_year": 1987,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "Point Contact [Sandia]",
      "group": "Stanford",
      "efficiency_percent": 22.119,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 0.152,
      "area_type": null,
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": null,
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 20.806,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 1.313
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00113",
      "measurement_date": "1994-03-01",
      "stated_month": 3,
      "stated_year": 1994,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "PERL",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 23.735,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.0,
      "area_type": "ap",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "Sandia",
      "first_pip": "4",
      "pip_table": "1",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 22.119,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 1.616
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00120",
      "measurement_date": "1994-09-01",
      "stated_month": 9,
      "stated_year": 1994,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "PERL",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 24.24,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": null,
      "area_cm2": 4.0,
      "area_type": "ap",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "Sandia",
      "first_pip": "5",
      "pip_table": "1",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 23.735,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.505
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00158",
      "measurement_date": "1998-02-01",
      "stated_month": 2,
      "stated_year": 1998,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "PERL",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 24.644,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.5,
      "area_cm2": 4.0,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "Sandia",
      "first_pip": "12",
      "pip_table": "1",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 24.24,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.404
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00160",
      "measurement_date": "1998-11-01",
      "stated_month": 11,
      "stated_year": 1998,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "PERL",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 24.745,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.5,
      "area_cm2": 4.0,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "Sandia",
      "first_pip": "13",
      "pip_table": "1",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 24.644,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.101
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00165",
      "measurement_date": "1999-03-01",
      "stated_month": 3,
      "stated_year": 1999,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "Si PERL top/rear contacts",
      "group": "UNSW",
      "efficiency_percent": 25.0,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.5,
      "area_cm2": 4.0,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "Sandia",
      "first_pip": "14",
      "pip_table": "1",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 24.745,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.255
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00227",
      "measurement_date": "2006-08-01",
      "stated_month": 8,
      "stated_year": 2006,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "Si n-type top/rear contacts",
      "group": "Fraunhofer ISE",
      "efficiency_percent": 25.3,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.3,
      "area_cm2": 4.014,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "FhG-ISE",
      "first_pip": "49",
      "pip_table": "4",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 25.0,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.3
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00429",
      "measurement_date": "2017-03-01",
      "stated_month": 3,
      "stated_year": 2017,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "n-type top/rear contacts",
      "group": "Fraunhofer ISE",
      "efficiency_percent": 25.7,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.5,
      "area_cm2": 4.017,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "FhG-ISE",
      "first_pip": "50",
      "pip_table": "4",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 25.3,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.4
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00434",
      "measurement_date": "2017-07-01",
      "stated_month": 7,
      "stated_year": 2017,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "crystalline, n-type top/rear contacts",
      "group": "FhG-ISE",
      "efficiency_percent": 25.8,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.5,
      "area_cm2": 4.008,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "FhG-ISE",
      "first_pip": "51",
      "pip_table": "4",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 25.7,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.1
    },
    {
      "record_id": "00447",
      "measurement_date": "2018-02-01",
      "stated_month": 2,
      "stated_year": 2018,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "p-type rear, IBC",
      "group": "ISFH",
      "efficiency_percent": 26.1,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 0.3,
      "area_cm2": 3.9857,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "ISFH",
      "first_pip": "52",
      "pip_table": "2",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 25.8,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.3
    },
    {
      "record_id": "555",
      "measurement_date": "2025-10-27",
      "stated_month": 10,
      "stated_year": 2025,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "TOPCon bifacial",
      "group": "Runergy",
      "efficiency_percent": 26.55,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 1.5,
      "area_cm2": 335.2,
      "area_type": "ta",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "ISFH",
      "first_pip": "NA",
      "pip_table": "NA",
      "previous_frontier_percent": 26.1,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.45
    },
    {
      "record_id": "558",
      "measurement_date": "2025-12-17",
      "stated_month": 12,
      "stated_year": 2025,
      "material_class": "Crystalline Si Cells",
      "cell_type": "Single crystal (non-concentrator)",
      "description": "TOPCon bifacial",
      "group": "Trina Solar",
      "efficiency_percent": 26.68,
      "efficiency_basis": "Combined efficiency (%)",
      "uncertainty_percent": 1.5,
      "area_cm2": 350.2,
      "area_type": "da",
      "suns": 1.0,
      "testing_center": "ISFH",
      "first_pip": "TBD (68)",
      "pip_table": null,
      "previous_frontier_percent": 26.55,
      "improvement_percentage_points": 0.13
    }
  ]
}