- Trina Solar’s n-type monocrystalline silicon Vertex solar module with 210 mm sized cell has achieved 24.24% aperture efficiency
- It has used the company’s own high efficiency n-type i-TOPCon solar cell in 66-cell configuration
- The company said it developed multi-busbar and novel encapsulation technologies along with non-destructive laser cutting technology to improve module efficiency
Chinese solar PV company Trina Solar has reported achieving 24.24% ‘record’ aperture module efficiency for its Vertex module with 210 mm x 210 mm high-efficiency n-type i-TOPCon solar cells, on an area of 2.807 m².
TÜV Nord has independently confirmed this efficiency level for Trina’s industrial large-area n-type i-TOPCon 600W+ modules for which it used a 66 cell-configuration.
Trina says its researchers at the State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology developed multi-busbar and novel encapsulation technologies along with non-destructive laser cutting technology to improve module efficiency.
“This is the first time to demonstrate over 24% module aperture efficiency with industrial large-area n-type i-TOPCon cells,” said Head of High Efficiency Cell and Module R&D Center, Dr. Yifeng Chen Yifeng. “This is the 25th record that Trina Solar achieved in terms of cell and module efficiencies.”
Trina’s module efficiency is inching towards the overall solar module efficiency record from Kaneka – a 24.4% efficient 13,177 cm2 panel using HJT IBC cells, measured on a designated illumination area in 2016.
Focused on 210 sized cells and modules, Trina Solar is also taking n-type technology seriously. In 2022, it aims to produce 8 GW n-type modules based on 210 wafer sized cells.
In March 2022, Trina Solar claimed a world record for large area industrial n-type monocrystalline silicon i-TOPCon cells (see 25.5% Efficiency For 210mm i-TOPCon Cell).
In solar research, solar cell and module efficiencies are sometimes measured only on aperture area, which enables higher efficiencies than total area measurements. For the aperture area, parts of the device, such as cell bus bars, interconnection are masked, so that the illuminated area is smaller than the total cell or module areas.
Currently, Trina Solar’s p-type 210 mm PERC half-cell Vertex commercially available module with 21.6% efficiency and 670W power output features in TaiyangNews Top Solar Modules Listing for July 2022 (see Top Solar Modules Listing — July 2022).
