Tunnelling oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells are gaining significant commercial interest, due to the potential for high efficiency. Industrially, JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers that are producing n-type TOPCon solar cells on a commercial scale of 10GW capacity.
First, the TOPCon technology and relevant process leads to an average efficiency enhancement of an average batch efficiency of 24.08% and champion efficiency of 24.58% achieved in JinkoSolar’s mass production line. This improvement was related to an increase in both VOC and FF. Additionally, TOPCon cells displayed no LID and LeTID.
With these full-scale advantaged TOPCon cells, JinkoSolar released its n-type TOPCon Tiger Neo 615w modules in 2021, which has shown an advantage in high efficiency, high bifacial factor, no light-induced degradation, low temperature coefficient.
The inherited half-cell technology further enhances the module’s power and reliability. It can minimize the LCOE when in bifacial option and applied to the large scale PV projects in areas rich in light resources together with fixed mounts or horizontal single-axis tracker. Besides, it can significantly enhance the project’s IRR (Internal Rate of Return) when applied to distributed PV stations where the ground has undergone high reflective treatment (such as paint white).
Compared with the traditional p-PERC bifacial cell, the n-TOPCon bifacial cell can obtain high cell efficiency of Jinkosolar to 25.4% in R&D and a bifacial factor up to 85%. The higher bifacial factor of N type TOPCon technology makes it very suitable to apply bifacial modules to significantly increase power generation of rear side. So it has a very high performance/price ratio. And the module efficiency of mass produced has exceeded 22.3%, plus more additional power generated based on ground albedo.
Combined with excellent low irradiance performance, low value of power temperature coefficient, low degradation makes JinkoSolar’s n-TOPCon modules in both monofacial and bifacial version perform better in real world operation in terms of energy yields and durability.
Compared with other 600w plus PERC modules based on 210” wafer which would entail much higher operations current, Tiger Neo’s low current characteristics brings improvements in energy yield, safety and reliability.
Another critical point that may interest most investors is no light- (LID) and elevated temperature-induced degradation (LeTID) is found in TOPCon Tiger Neo modules because the n-type Czochralski (Cz) wafers used are not susceptible to B-O LID in all climate. It’s a strong advamtage of n-type TOPCon modules over p-type modules exposed to strong UV irradiation and heat.
