Chinese PV manufacturer Trina Solar has set a 25.44% module efficiency record with a solar total passivation (TOPAS) heterojunction (HJT) PV module.
The results were independently confirmed by the PV calibration laboratory (CalLab) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany, and set a record for PV modules based on a crystalline silicon solar cell with front and back contact structure.
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Trina Solar’s latest record module efficiency is based on a high-performance n-type TOPAS HJT solar cell. It features both a substrate of large-area n-type phosphorus-doped Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) wafer (210×105 mm2) and the integration of optimised thin-film passivation, fully passivated contact and progressive variable-frequency-RF p-type emitter.
According to the company, the adoption of advanced light-trapping, ultra-high-density packaging and an ultra-low-resistance interconnection resulted in a significant breakthrough in the module’s optical and electrical performance.
Gao Jifan, chairman and CEO of Trinasolar, said: “This sets a new world record for large-area single-junction c-Si solar PV modules. It demonstrates the strong technical potential of TOPAS cells and reinforces the technology advantage for Trina Solar as a PV leader.”
This is the latest record set by the Chinese manufacturer which last year set a 26.58% conversion efficiency for a bifacial industrial tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell. It took the company less than a month to increase its own previous record, which was set at 25.9%. Last month, Trina Solar also set a new record for an n-type Cz-Si HJT solar cell, achieving an efficiency of 27.08%.
More recently, PV Tech spoke with Trina Solar’s global sales and marketing president, Yang Bao, regarding the company’s performance in 2024 and its expectations for 2025.
