Leadmicro CTO Jerry Liao outlined recent advancements from TOPCon to TBC solutions, highlighting 3 main process routes – LPCVD, hybrid LPCVD + PECVD, and the new PECVD route – alongside evolving TBC equipment options. Leadmicro’s TBC equipment solutions include ALD, which helps improve capacity by about 50%, and the LPCVD route that now delivers about 40% capacity gains. The new PECVD process shows roughly 20% higher capacity and improved uniformity. Additional upgrades come from edge passivation and laser steps. TBC equipment investment intensity has fallen from about RMB 350 M/GW to ~230 M/GW.
We’d be back with Day 2 of the TaiyangNews High-Efficiency Solar Technologies Virtual Conference on December 4, 2025, to discuss TOPCon solar cell technology. Expect an interesting lineup of speakers from Fraunhofer ISE, NexWafe, Trina solar, DMEGC Solar, Shenzhen S.C New Energy, DKEM, along with a panel discussion. Stay tuned!
In a fireside chat with TaiyangNews Head of Technology Shravan Chunduri, Leadmicro CTO Jerry Liao said that among the main challenges for back contact to become a mainstream technology are higher costs and penetrating the utility-scale segment. He nevertheless expects its market share to increase, but at a slower pace than witnessed for PERC to TOPCon.
AIKO says its ABC modules now achieve over 80% bifaciality thanks to reduced finger width, thinner n-poly layers, ultra-small structures, and ZBB design. Guillermo Estébanez claims the modules deliver higher energy yield at the same installed capacity, cut BOS costs by 1.1 cent/W, and lower LCOE by 5.77%.
AIKO’s Senior Product Solution Manager, Guillermo Estébanez, presented the company’s All Back Contact (ABC) modules for residential, utility-scale, and C&I segments, with a power output ranging from 480-490 W to 770-805 W, claiming around 30 W more yield than conventional panels.
LONGi's Dante Zeng said the current BC mass-production cell efficiency is about 27%, clearly ahead of other technologies. He noted a remaining 1% gap to the theoretical limit but expects BC cells to reach about 28.5% in 3-5 years, with module efficiency topping 26%. He highlighted several steps to accelerate progress, including improved light management, hybrid passivation, advanced metallization, multi-slicing, high-density encapsulation, and intelligent soldering and module technologies
LONGi’s Product Marketing Manager Dante Zeng traced the growth of BC technology, saying it has leapfrogged through structural revolution and extreme efficiency. LONGi, he shared, equips its BC modules with a 4-layer protection system to improve crack resistance, including the TaiRay wafer, high wafer thickness, one-line welding, and high-quality grammage adhesive film.
Chinese manufacturers are not adding many new factories as of now, but instead boosting output with higher-efficiency technologies. In his keynote, ISC Konstanz’s Radovan Kopecek said this is where BC technology will play a key role. If China commits to BC, the market transition could accelerate rapidly, he added.
ISC Konstanz Co-Founder & Director Radovan Kopecek says solar is expected to dominate future power systems, with PV-plus-storage eliminating the nuclear lobby’s arguments about intermittency. Average BC efficiencies are likely to reach about 25.5% within 5 to 6 years. TOPCon may be leading now, but the future will belong to BC and tandem.
Shravan Chunduri outlined new insights from the TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing, which includes only commercially available modules with efficiencies of at least 21.5%. BC technology continues to dominate the efficiency charts. AIKO holds the top position, increasing module efficiency from 22.8% in 2023 to 24.4% by September 2025 – a 1.6% jump. While BC remains the clear leader, the number of BC manufacturers is still limited to 4, though this is expected to expand as adoption grows, he added.
TaiyangNews Head of Technology Shravan Chunduri opens the 4-day High-Efficiency Solar Technologies Conference 2025, noting that today’s solar landscape is defined by 3 leading commercial technologies. With rising interest in back-contact (BC), Day 1 is dedicated to BC research, manufacturers, and equipment suppliers
Today’s sessions will end with Leadmicro CTO Jerry Liao engaging in a fireside chat with TaiyangNews Head of Technology Shravan Chunduri, as they deliberate on what’s needed to turn Back Contact into the next mainstream technology. Don’t miss it!
A short agenda for Day 1, but expect insightful presentations from leading industry names and experts advancing Back Contact technology. We’ll be joined by ISC Konstanz, LONGi, AIKO, and Leadmicro to discuss the various advantages that Back Contact brings to the table.
Over the 4 days of the event, we take a deep dive into all the high-efficiency solar PV technologies in the market today. Day 1 on December 3 is devoted to Back Contact (xBC), and Day 2 on December 4 to TOPCon. We take a break before returning with another day dedicated to TOPCon on December 9, before wrapping up on December 10 with Heterojunction.
Welcome to TaiyangNews High-Efficiency Solar Technologies 2025 Conference, our annual flagship event that’s spread across 4 days and various technologies. Over the course of this conference, Team TaiyangNews will share real-time updates from the event in this LIVE BLOG, starting TODAY, 9:30 a.m. CET.