REC and Fraunhofer ISE to develop high-efficiency solar cells

SINGAPORE: REC, the global supplier of solar energy solutions, is teaming up with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE to develop high-efficiency solar cells based on n-type monocrystalline wafers.

n-Type solar cells have a higher efficiency potential than traditional p-type solar cells. Moreover, they do not display the light induced degradation that conventional p-type solar cells suffer from. However, n-type cells are more complex to manufacture and traditionally require expensive silver contacts on both sides of the cell.

Fraunhofer ISE has now developed a high-efficiency cell structure that avoids the use of an expensive silver contact grid on the back of the cell. Instead, this cell structure makes use of a combination of dielectric layers and localized contacts. REC, which has a vast experience in the development and optimization state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, will work together with Fraunhofer ISE to translate this technology from lab scale to a full production-ready concept.

The new production process is expected to yield high-efficiency cells at competitive costs on proven production equipment. The latter will make it possible to implement this technology quickly in production once it is fully developed.

"The PassDop layer delivers excellent results on the conductivity of n-type solar cells. Through it, we can now achieve confirmed cell efficiency of 22.4 percent," said Dr. Stefan Glunz, division director "Solar Cells - Development and Characterization" at Fraunhofer ISE.

Ter Soon Kim, senior VP of Operations and Technology, REC said, "By combining our manufacturing excellence with the new technology developed at Fraunhofer ISE, we are taking another step towards making solar energy a source of clean energy that is accessible and affordable to all."