TopCon solar cells

The second-phase launch of Solarspace’s $1.47 billion manufacturing facility brings its total global production capacity of n-type solar cells to 35 GW.

Jochen Rentsch, head of department at Fraunhofer ISE, speaks to pv magazine about recent progress in TOPCon module development, including new efficiency records by JinkoSolar and Jolywood. Production costs are falling as more Tier 1 companies shift from PERC to TOPCon, and multi-gigawatt production is already a reality. Could the TOPCon solar cell segment reach a tipping point for efficiency in 2023?

Scientists in Germany have improved the efficiency of an industrial TOPCon solar cell from 23.8% to 24.1% by using laser-enhanced contact optimization as a post-firing treatment.

Scientists in Australia have looked at how gettering technologies could improve passivating contacts based on polysilicon and silicon monoxide (SiOx) for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells. They found that the gettering strength of the P-doped poly mainly depends on the doping concentration.

A research group led by Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar has developed a tandem perovskite-silicon cell with a subcell based on TOPCon tech. The group succeeded in reducing voltage losses in the silicon sub-cell by minimizing the shunting probability during device fabrication.

Developed by Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE, the cell is manufactured with metallization based on a plating process. The device was built with galvanic nickel/copper/silver contacts instead of common silver contacts.

In a short chat with pv magazine, Mohamed Saady Dweik, the head of technical services and product management for the MENA region at JinkoSolar, spoke about the potential of TOPCon tech in the Middle East and North Africa region. According to him, the global demand for TOPCon products may exceed that of PERC panels within three years.

TOPCon solar modules will gain more market share if their average efficiency, already higher than that of PERC panels, continues to improve, according to Stefan Glunz, PV research chief at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. In an upcoming pv magazine webinar on the potential of TOPCon tech, Glunz will show how to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

TOPCon solar cells are on their way to fully compete with PERC solar products, according to recent research from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE. Efficiency gains for the TOPCon concept, however, are necessary to help it capture more market share, as production costs remain higher than those for PERC tech. A series of cost-driven strategies to make TOPCon modules advance were outlined in the study.

The Chinese manufacturer has launched two new bifacial products based on its n-type TOPCon 2.0 cell technology. The JW-HD156N panel has a power output of 615W, a front side efficiency of 22% and is intended for utility scale projects. The second product, called JW-HD108N, is an all-black panel with a power rating of 425W, for the residential segment.