TOPCon

China’s Solamet has launched a new silver paste product for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells processed with laser carrier injection technology. By solving a problem related to contact between the paste and the boron doped front surface of the silicon cell, it promises an efficiency improvement of at least 0.2% over competing products.

German company RENA Technologies has announced the first sales of a new tool for silicon cell manufacturing. The tool is used for etching/removal of unwanted material on one side of a solar cell, and will be integrated into the gigawatt-scale production of an unnamed manufacturer in South Asia working with TOPCon technology.

A study by TÜV Nord in Malaysia shows that the latest generation of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules surpass their older rivals on energy yield. The researchers compared n-type TOPCon modules with older p-type PERC modules, both manufactured by JinkoSolar over a three-month period earlier this year. The newer product showed an energy yield 5.69% higher than its PERC counterpart.

In May 2022, PV experts from around the world convened in Germany for the third Terawatt Workshop. Almost one year later, takeaways from discussions at the workshop – combined with a wide-ranging review of research on decarbonization pathways, energy demand projections, and the state of the art in PV technology – led to the conclusion that 75 TW of installed solar capacity by 2050 was a realistic global target. More than 50 leading PV industry figures recently outlined the opportunity and the challenges that solar will face in reaching this goal.

Sunova Solar is offering five versions of its new bifacial dual glass solar panels, with power outputs ranging from 585 W to 605 W and efficiencies of 22.1% to 22.9%. They feature 144 n-type monocrystalline TOPCon solar cells.

Asier Ukar, the director of PI Berlin Spain, discusses the importance of addressing the risks associated with tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech early on, even though it outperforms (passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) when considering standard and tangible indicators.

Indian manufacturer Gautam Solar released n-type TOPCon solar modules for the residential, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale PV markets at Intersolar Europe 2023. It is offering the modules in all black, silver frame, glass-to-glass bifacial, and lightweight bifacial variants.

Recom is offering five versions of its new all-black panels, with power outputs ranging from 440 W to 460 W and efficiency ratings of 22.5% to 23.6%. They feature 108 half-cut monocrystalline cells with n-type and back-contact technology.

AEG is offering three versions of its new all-black panels, with power outputs of 420 W to 430 W and efficiency ratings ranging from 21.5% to 22.0%. They feature 108 half-cut monocrystalline cells with n-type technology.

A combination of protectionist measures, attractive profit margins, and domestic content incentives has revitalized Turkey’s solar manufacturing industry. Jonathan Gifford asks whether the resurgent sector can become a player on the world stage.