Technical Papers

Despite India’s ambitious solar targets, challenges remain on policy, financing and grid infrastructure. Simon Yuen talks to experts in the solar industry to examine the challenges and opportunities in the Indian market.

Photovoltaic module technology has entered the n-type TOPCon era. This article provides an overview of Jinko’s n-type TOPCon technology, highlighting Jinko’s efforts to help improve the efficiency, reliability, system compatibility and economy of the Tiger Neo module. The power generation gain brought by Tiger Neo module is proved by practical application cases. Jinko will also meet the changing market needs in the future, driving the industry towards higher efficiency and lower LCOE.

Last year saw 96GW of distributed PV installed in China, an all-time record. But as Carrie Xiao reports, even as the distributed market segment begins to surge, problems associated with its rapid development are beginning to emerge

Grid infrastructure has emerged as a key stumbling block in Europe’s transition to a cleaner energy system. Chris Rosslowe of Ember considers how the EU’s power network can be made fit for purpose as an enabler rather than an impediment to greater renewables deployment.

The market drivers that have spurred record solar growth in Europe in recent years are weakening as the energy crisis abates. JP Casey reports on the measures policymakers must implement to ensure Europe remains an attractive destination for the huge levels capital needed to finance the energy transition.

Tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology will be the next big thing from this year on. By the end of 2023, PV production capacity will exceed 450GW, putting this technology in first place in terms of market share in the following years. All TOPCon cells are equipped with passivating contact on the rear and, most of them, with selective emitters or with LECO (Laser Enhanced Contact Optimization) processed surface on the front, which increase the voltage to above 725mV and enable cell efficiencies in production of around 24.5%. The next step in cell development is the implementation of passivating contacts for the p+ polarity.

Multiple gigawatts of domestic PV manufacturing are needed in Europe to support the continent’s solar deployment targets and underpin future energy resilience. Will Norman reports on the pros and cons of ongoing efforts to reshore European manufacturing.

Three of the five new European markets to hit 1GW of solar in 2023 were from the east. Will Norman looks at the shifting dynamics of Eastern Europe’s leading solar markets, which like much of the continent’s solar sector, are struggling to maintain the tempo as the 2022 energy crisis eases.

Jonathan Tourino Jacobo looks at Southern Europe, where pricing, grid capacity and a recent prohibition of PV on farmland are causing headaches.

Silicon (Si) photovoltaics (PV) are likely to become increasingly popular as part of global efforts to achieve carbon neutrality and mitigate climate change. In recent decades, two major Si solar cell technologies, i.e., aluminium back surface field and passivated emitter and rear contact, have been mass produced to meet market demands. The industry is currently striving to establish long-term plans for technological advancement to align with the evolving and dynamic market environment. Back contact (BC) solar cells, realised through various contact formation technologies, are expected to represent the ultimate evolution of Si PV technology in terms of both efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In this study, the evolution of Si solar cell structures is reviewed. Challenges for BC solar cell manufacturing are discussed. We report the advancement of the BC technology at LONGi.