‘China’s most efficient’: Hanergy hits 24.34% efficiency on HJT cell

Hanergy has achieved 24.32% efficiency on a full size (156 x 156 mm) PV cell incorporating heterojunction technology.

The record improves on Hanergy’s previous efficiency record of 23.7%, which was confirmed in August by the China Photovoltaic Society as the highest conversion efficiency recorded in China. The record also edges out JinkoSolar, which last week hit 24.2% on a cell utilizing TOPCon technology, which is set to rival heterojunction for new capacity expansions as 2019 unfolds.

This latest achievement from Hanergy has been confirmed by the Japanese Electrical Safety & Environment Technology (JET) Laboratories. The company states that it has filed more than 300 patents relating to its silicon heterojunction (SHJ) technology.

Further details on the processes or technologies utilized by the cell were not provided.

While 24.32% is an impressive result, others have already been able to take heterojunction technology further, including Japanese thin film producer Kaneka, which reached 26.33% on a heterojunction cell utilizing a back-contact structure back in 2016.

Hanergy could be set for a comeback in 2019, having posted positive financial results for the first half of 2018 – the first since its well-publicized collapse back in 2015. Though there are still concerns and the company’s shares remain suspended from trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, it was recently listed in 78^th place among a ranking of China’s top 500 companies, and also stated that it welcomes the latest policy announcements from China, from which it says it stands to benefit.