Coordinated cell and module engineering is becoming essential to convert laboratory efficiency gains into repeatable, mass-produced module performance
Tongwei’s TNC 3.0 platform integrates multi-cut architecture with 360° passivated TOPCon cells to reduce electrical losses and support long-term operational stability
The company has launched its TNC 3.0 modules, achieving outputs of up to 770 W with efficiencies reaching 24.8%
As photovoltaic manufacturers continue to pursue lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), attention is shifting from peak laboratory efficiencies to how reliably those gains can be realized in mass production and sustained over the long term. Improving module efficiency remains one of the most direct ways to increase system output per unit area, but doing so increasingly requires tighter integration between cell technology and module design.
Against this backdrop, Tongwei Solar outlined how its TNC 3.0 platform integrates cell-level advances with module architecture to deliver higher power output in commercial 210-mm formats.
According to Tongwei, module efficiency should no longer be viewed as a single performance parameter. Instead, it represents a system capability that must be validated across large-scale manufacturing and long-term field operation. While higher efficiency directly increases energy yield per unit area, it also triggers broader system-level effects.
At the technical level, efficiency gains are driven by 2 core factors: maximizing light capture and minimizing electrical losses during energy conversion. While high-performance cells are essential, module-level design choices such as interconnection architecture, encapsulation structure, and current flow paths play an equally important role in determining the final output.
One of the key module-level approaches Tongwei has pursued is the multi-cut architecture. By reducing operating current, multi-cut designs lower internal resistive losses and create additional headroom for efficiency improvement. However, the company emphasized that cutting alone does not guarantee higher output. Cutting-induced damage, reduced CTM ratios, production complexity, and non-standard module dimensions can offset potential gains if not addressed systematically.
Tongwei states it began focused development in this area in 2016 with the establishment of a dedicated high-efficiency multi-cut module R&D program. Since then, the company has accumulated experience across R&D, production, and downstream applications. According to the company, its multi-cut shingled modules have been deployed in high-end distributed generation markets in Europe and in large-scale projects in China, including flexible mounting systems and fishery-PV hybrid power plants.
In 2025, Tongwei reported further progress by addressing cutting-related damage at the module stage through the Tongwei Passivation Edge (TPE) technology. Combined with customized wafer sizing, this approach was used to mitigate issues such as reduced CTM ratios and non-standard module formats, which have historically limited the broader adoption of multi-cut modules in utility-scale projects.
At the cell level, the TNC 3.0 platform is built around a 360° 3-dimensional passivation concept designed to raise the efficiency ceiling while maintaining stability after cutting, encapsulation, and module assembly. Rather than relying on a single process improvement, the company says it integrates multiple cell technologies, including TPE, light–hydrogen stable passivation, secondary firing, ultra-fine gridline design, and PolyTech into a coordinated passivation strategy that supports carrier transport across the entire cell structure.
Tongwei noted that conventional TOPCon cells with localized passivation are more susceptible to edge damage after cutting, which can limit open-circuit voltage and restrict efficiency release. This challenge is addressed in the TNC 3.0 platform through the passivation design mentioned above, which preserves electrical performance after multi-cut processing. Under the same 210-mm wafer size, Tongwei reports single-cell efficiencies exceeding 26.3% and single-cell power above 11.6 W.
When combined with multi-cut architecture and louver-style interconnection at the module level, these cell-level gains translate into higher module output. In the G12R-66 format, TNC 3.0 modules are rated for up to 670 W with a conversion efficiency of 24.8%. In the G12-66 format, output increases to 770 W at the same efficiency level. Tongwei launched the TNC 3.0 module platform at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, based on 210 mm wafers.
On the 3rd day of the TaiyangNews High-Efficiency Solar Technologies 2025 Conference, Aran Huang, Overseas Technical Support at Tongwei Solar, provided additional insight into the cell-side design used in the company’s TNC 3.0 platform. In her presentation, What’s the Next Level – TNC 3.0, Huang explained that the multi-cut TNC 3.0 module adopts an overlapped cell layout combined with TPE and zero-busbar (ZBB) technologies to improve optical efficiency and current collection (Watch here).
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