p-type

Firm takes five months to break its own previous record of 22.28% for p-type multi-crystalline cell efficiency, with new 22.8% milestone certified by Germany’s ISFH.

The solar industry gets to grips with the bewildering array of new module technologies at the second edition of the PV ModuleTech event in Penang, Malaysia. The conference raised a huge number of questions such as how to evaluate bifacial technology and whether it might rise faster than predicted, how long p-type multicrystalline has left in the running and the perennial issue of quality, to name a few.

Between the Section 201 case and a search for new owners, SolarWorld Americas is currently going through major changes that look set to see the company root itself more firmly in the US.

In defiance of a significant trend by a growing number of leading PV manufacturers to either completely replace P-type multi c-Si cell technology with P-type mono c-Si with PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) technology, or hedge their bets and do PERC on both wafer substrates, Silicon Module Super League member Canadian Solar is placing a potentially risky bet on pushing ahead with the migration to P-type multi c-Si PERC cell technology using diamond wire saw (DWS) and ‘Black Silicon’ texturing under its ‘ONYX’ cell branding.

It is highly likely that LONGi Solar (formerly LERRI Solar) will be confirmed within the top-10 module suppliers by volume for last year. Finlay Colville talks to Hongbin Fang ahead of PV CellTech.

Finlay Colville talks to Rulong Chen of Wuxi Suntech Power, ahead of the company’s keynote presentation on the morning of 15 March 2017 at PV CellTech.

The most exciting talk title at PV CellTech 2017 in Penang, Malaysia, on 14-15 March 2017, could be the presentation from Canadian Solar titled: Black silicon & diamond wire sawing of wafers - the future for multi c-Si technology. Here, Finlay Colville talks to Guaqiang Xing of Canadian Solar.

Yesterday on PV-Tech, we explained what to expect from p-type multi c-Si modules during 2017 and 2018, across various p-multi cell configurations. Today, we show a similar analysis, but for p-type mono.

Solar cells produced using p-type multi c-Si wafers retained their dominant market-share position in 2016, despite significant investments into p-type mono and advanced cell production, such as PERC. The transition to increased mono wafer use is now expected to be seen more clearly during 2017 and 2018, but depends still upon the relative end-market demand from the domestic Chinese market.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar said it reached a new milestone in monocrystalline PV product shipments in the middle of July, 2016.