Chinese solar PV manufacturers are bringing the year 2023 to an end with several high efficiency and power output records. Latest in the list is Huasun Energy's claim for a new record-breaking power output of 750.544 W and 24.16% efficiency for heterojunction (HJT) solar modules, while Tongwei has achieved 745.62 W power, also for HJT modules, with 24% front-side conversion efficiency.
Germany-headquartered testing and certification organization TÜV SÜD has certified both the claims, according to respective manufacturers.
Huasun has achieved this high output for its G12-132 HJT solar module and claims to have also achieved a conversion efficiency of 24.16%. It follows the 23.96% efficiency and over 744 W output the manufacturer reported for the same configuration in September 2023 (see Huasun Claims 'New Record' For HJT Solar Modules).
The G12 modules of Huasun comprise 20 busbars (BB) and are made of cells with 25.8% average mass-production efficiency, produced at the company's Xuancheng Phase IV cell project. Huasun attributes the improvement to the notable progress in cell efficiency that it says reached 25.8%, representing a significant increase of 0.5% from just 3 months ago at the project's production commencement.
Additionally, the output has also increased due to the refinement of the PIB+light conversion film encapsulation process. "As a result, the Himalaya G12-132 HJT module has surpassed its own record set six weeks ago, achieving an impressive 6W increase over the previous 744.43W record," it added.
According to Huasun's technology roadmap, the company has been targeting to achieve 750 W output for its G12-132 module with a cell efficiency reaching 26.0% to 26.5% in 2024. The roadmap was shared by the company's Director of Pre-Sales Technical and Product Support Tracy Hong at the TaiyangNews Global PV System Technology Trends H1/2023 conference (see Huasun's HJT Modules For Multiple Applications).
Huasun's peer and compatriot Tongwei Solar has also reached 745.62 W power output for its THC HJT modules with a conversion efficiency of 24.0%. The manufacturer claims it to be a 'milestone breakthrough'.
Tongwei achieved this output for its 210-66 HJT zero BB modules, making it the 5th time this year that the company says it has set a new high for HJT power output, starting from 721.71 W in January, 728.40 W in May, 732.64 W in May again and 743.68 W in July (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
As most parts of the world transition from PERC to TOPCon, China is already investing in the commercialization of next-generation technologies. Earlier this month, China's LONGi announced a world record efficiency of 33.9% for crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell, followed by JinkoSolar reporting another world record of 24.76% n-type TOPCon large area modules (see JinkoSolar Sets 'New Record' For TOPCon Module Efficiency).
A recent Wood Mackenzie report stated that as the Chinese solar industry continues to invest in improving solar PV technology, it will widen the technology and cost gap with the rest of the world (see Cannot Eliminate Dependence On China For Wafers & Cells).