Research & Development

Trina Solar hits new efficiency record for IBC cell

Trina Solar has set a new record of 25.04% total area efficiency for an n-type interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cell. The record has been independently verified by Japan Electric Safety and Environmental Technology Laboratory.
Mark Hutchins
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Mark Hutchins
Image: Trina Solar

Trina Solar announced the achievement of 25.04% efficiency for the IBC cell at its State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology in Changzhou, China. The record was achieved on an n-type monocrystalline IBC cell measuring 243.18cm², with open circuit voltage up to 715.6mV.

According to Trina Solar, the cell was fabricated on a phosphorous doped silicon substrate and utilized a low-cost industrial IBC process, featuring conventional tube doping technologies and fully screen-printed metallization.

The efficiency was independently verified by the Japan Electric Safety and Environment Technology Laboratory. Trina also points out that this cell is the first single junction crystalline silicon cell to surpass 25% efficiency.

This achievement breaks Trina’s own record for a monocrystalline IBC cell, set in 2016. It also adds to the extensive list of accolades achieved by Trina Solar’s State Key Lab – which now has 18 world records in cell and module technology under its belt.

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New Research Is Taking Solar Panel Efficiency to Record Levels | Sundrenched News
Feb 28, 2018

[…] https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/02/14/trina-solar-hits-new-efficiency-record-for-ibc-cell/  […]

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Matt
Feb 15, 2018

“Trina also points out that this cell is the first single junction crystalline silicon to surpass 25% efficiency.”

SunPower, Panasonic, ISFH, UNSW, and likely other academic institutes have surpassed 25% with single junction crystalline silicon.

Oh, according to another press release,

“It has been demonstrated to be the first single-junction c-Si solar cell developed in China to attain an efficiency above 25%, and also has been demonstrated to be the highest efficiency c-Si single junction solar cell based on a 6-inch large-area c-Si substrate.”

So it’s a cell record for efficiency on a substrate this large and for made-in-China efficiency. Good job by Trina. Sounds like they are developing a less exotic, costly process for IBC cells than SunPower has used.

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Trina Solar hits new efficiency record for IBC cell | myrenewables
Feb 14, 2018

[…] Trina Solar hits new efficiency record for IBC cell https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/02/14/trina-solar-hits-new-efficiency-record-for-ibc-cell/ […]

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