Rena helps expanding Aiko shift to PERC

Germany's Rena Technologies GmbH this week said it is partnering with Aiko Solar Energy Technology Co Ltd, supporting the Chinese solar cell manufacturer's shift to passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology.

"We are very happy that AIKO Solar Energy continues to rely on the quality of our wet processing equipment to ramp their capacity in the field of PERC solar products," said Christian Peter, vice president sales at Rena Technologies GmbH. According to the press release, up to the second quarter of 2017, Aiko has ordered production equipment for a cell fabrication capacity of over 4 GW with Rena.

Aiko is in a process of expanding its manufacturing capacity and has set up a subsidiary that plans to invest in 8 GW of capacity, the first 2.65-GW phase of which is expected to be in operation by end-September, the statement says.

Aiko is manufacturing both mono- and multicrystalline silicon solar cells with passivated surfaces and recently launched a bifacial p-type PERC product. In the second quarter of 2017 it has reached conversion efficiencies of more than 21.5% on monocrystalline p-type PERC devices.

Another area the two companies have started partnering on is replacing costly printed silver pastes with plated front side electrodes. Rena said it will supply an InCellPlate production tool later this year to Aiko's new production facility in the city of YiWu in Zhejiang province.

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