Fraunhofer ISE develops 23.4%-efficient PERC solar cells with limited silver amount
A team from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has reduced silver consumption in the fabrication of PERC solar cells by screen-printing ultra-fine metallization lines measuring just 14 μm. The resulting solar cell offered remarkable efficiency levels, which were confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE CalLab.
UNSW researchers warn of surprising TOPCon solar module vulnerabilities
Researchers at the University of New South Wales claim to have identified three TOPCon panel failure types that are absent in PERC products. They explained that these failures may occur when the modules are exposed to high humidity and contaminants before encapsulation.
Chinese solar module makers announce new TOPCon plans
DAH Solar says it wants to reach 5.5 GW of TOPCon solar module capacity by the end of this year. Ronma Solar, meanwhile, says it wants to build an 18 GW panel factory in Jinhua, in China’s Zhejiang province.
Jolywood claims 26.7% efficiency for n-type TOPCon solar cell
The China Academy of Metrology and Science has certified Jolywood’s 26.7% efficiency rating for an n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell, which the company claims is a world record. In November 2022, it announced a 26.1% efficiency rating for a similar cell.
Trina Solar aims for 26% TOPCon solar cell efficiency by 2027
Zhang Yingbin, Trina Solar’s head of global product strategy, speaks to pv magazine about the path to a supply chain dominated by n-type TOPCon products. He says Trina Solar will reach 30 GW of TOPCon solar module capacity by the end of 2023.
TOPCon shingle solar cell achieves 22.0% efficiency via thermal laser separation
Scientists from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE and US panel maker Solaria have applied thermal laser separation and post-metallization passivated edge technology to tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cell production. They have developed shingle PV devices that are more efficient than cells built with conventional laser scribing and mechanical cleaving methods.
Spray passivation to reduce losses in TOPCon, HJT cell-to-module process
Chinese researchers have developed a new passivation technique for shingled solar panels based on tunnel oxide passivated contacts (TOPCon) or heterojunction (HJT) tech. It reduces recombination losses in the cell-to-module process and reportedly increases open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and efficiency.
JinkoSolar unveils new TOPCon solar products with record efficiency ratings
Chinese module maker JinkoSolar has released three new TOPCon solar panel variants, ranging in power from 445 W to 635 W. The most efficient modules have a rating of 23.23%. The bifacial factor is up to 85% across the three panel types, with a temperature coefficient of -0.29% C.
Solarspace shifts TOPcon solar cell factory to full capacity
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.
Video: Fraunhofer ISE outlines 2023 prospects for TOPCon solar modules
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?
