Trina Solar hits record 24.13% total-area efficiency with IBC cell

Trina Solar Ltd announced on Friday it has achieved a record total-area efficiency of 24.13% for a large-area n-type mono-crystalline silicon (c-Si) Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cell.

The Chinese photovoltaic (PV) modules maker, which recently completed a going-private transaction, said that the record efficiency was independently measured by the Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET). It is just 0.24% absolute below the small-area laboratory cell record of 24.37% aperture efficiency that was reached by Trina and the Australian National University (ANU) in February 2014.

Since then, the Chinese company announced record total-area efficiencies for industrial version cells on two occasions. It noted that total-area efficiencies are always lower than aperture-efficiencies because of losses related to the edges of the cells and electrical contact areas.

The latest record was set by Trina’s State Key Laboratory (SKL) of PV Science and Technology (PVST). The record-breaking 156x156 sq mm cell was fabricated on a large-sized phosphorous-doped Cz Silicon substrate with a low-cost industrial IBC process.

"IBC solar cells are one of the most efficient silicon solar cells available today and are particularly suitable for applications for which the requirement of a high power density is more important than LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity),” explained Pierre Verlinden, vice president and chief scientist of Trina Solar.

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