In 2015, three different companies (and counting) have announced record-breaking cell efficiencies. R&D departments are locked in a pitched battle to produce the ultimate solar cell in order to dominate the PV landscape. We take a look at the state of play – and what exactly is up for grabs.
Our story begins on 24 April, when Trina Solar, one of the world’s leading solar PV modules manufacturers, announced that it had set a new world record for high efficiency p-type multi-crystalline silicon PV modules. Fast forward three days, and Germany-based Manz announced that it had achieved 16% efficiency in copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar modules. Meanwhile, on the very next day, Taiwan-based TSMC Solar announced that it achieved efficiency of 16.5% in commercially produced CIGS modules, bettering Manz’s record.
Trina’s agenda
Trina Solar’s Honey Plus multi-crystalline silicon module reached a new module efficiency record of 19.14% with an aperture area of 1.515 m2, as independently confirmed by the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT) in Wuxi, China.
This result was a new world record for a multi-crystalline silicon module composed of 60 high-efficiency Honey Plus multi-crystalline silicon cells (156×156mm2), fabricated with advanced technologies including back surface passivation, local back surface field and half-cell module technologies developed by Trina Solar. The multi-crystalline Honey Plus solar cells, the brand name for Trina’s PERC solar cells, are now in mass production. The half-cell module technology is not currently part of the Honey Plus products, but will be incorporated at a later date.
