Longi claims 23.6% efficiency for its PERC monocrystalline cells

Chinese vertically integrated producer of monocrystalline solar cells and panels, Longi has announced an efficiency of 23.6% for its monocrystalline passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) solar cells.

This result, which has been confirmed by China’s China’s National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT), surpasses the company’s previous record of 22.71%, achieved in October 2017.

At the time, the manufacturer said it expected to surpass a conversion efficiency of 23% at some point in the “near future,” without elaborating.

“Longi Solar has been focusing on the R&D of monocrystalline solar cells and modules as part of its drive to make breakthroughs in monocrystalline technology. Since October 2017, Longi Solar has broken the world record three times in terms of conversion efficiency of monocrystalline solar cells,” said the group unit’s vice president of research and development, Li Hua, in a statement.

In late January, the Chinese module maker announced a new record conversion rate of 20.41% for its p-type PERC monocrystalline modules (type 60). The announcement came just weeks after Longi Solar claimed an 82.15% record bifaciality for the bifacial version of its PERC solar cells.

The company is using its latest PERC technology in its manufacturing processes for both solar cells and modules, and is targeting a conversion rate of 22% for PERC cells in mass production.

In December, Longi said it expects its module power rating to be between 340 W and 345 W for a 60-cell module format.

In early February, Longi further announced a new roadmap aimed at 28 GW monocrystalline wafer capacity by end of this year, 36 GW by the end of 2019, and 45 GW by 2020. The company has also recently made a series of ambitious production expansion announcements in China and India.