from pv journal 10/24.
Most PV producers in India have shifted their module manufacturing from passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) to n-type TOPCon expertise. TOPCon is now the popular alternative for these getting into mainstream, large-scale cell manufacturing, or increasing manufacturing capability.
Although TOPCon has taken India’s photo voltaic business by storm, some observers anticipate interdigitated again contact (IBC) and different BC-type photo voltaic gadgets – which supply greater conversion effectivity – to catch on. a fraction from the TOPCon market in 2030.
There are presently a restricted variety of PV producers worldwide making business strikes into the BC area, nonetheless main photo voltaic corporations resembling Aiko, Longi, and Maxeon are shortly bringing this new expertise to bear. in mainstream manufacturing.
BC cells symbolize a wide range of cell architectures, in some circumstances mixed with different applied sciences resembling TOPCon or heterojunction (HJT) photo voltaic. In BC gadgets, all of the contacts and different constructions essential to hold the cost from the cell are positioned on the again facet, which eliminates entrance shading losses and presents excessive effectivity. The manufacturing of BC expertise requires funding in new tooling, and the mastery of extra advanced and delicate processes than required for TOPCon manufacturing.
Indian producers, working with tight margins, plan to proceed TOPCon within the close to time period and proceed to discover advances in that expertise, as a substitute of investing in BC photo voltaic, which remains to be dealing with of the challenges of large-scale manufacturing. Reliance Industries is presently the one Indian producer with agency plans for BC manufacturing. Reliance goals to commercialize HJT-IBC photo voltaic by 2026. The group’s new power enterprise is presently creating a first-generation bifacial panel with 26% effectivity, utilizing HJT expertise.
TOPCon above
Since 2021, TOPCon has emerged as a favourite successor to PERC amongst producers, together with India. TOPCon presents an easier and fewer cost-intensive transition, with related efficiency prospects to HJT, its major rival. While BC is considered as the subsequent evolutionary step in photo voltaic – attributable to its doubtlessly greater efficiency than different silicon cell applied sciences – transferring large-scale manufacturing to any BC expertise will probably be a extra advanced enterprise than an improve. at TOPCon.
“BC [cells] incorporates contacts on the again facet, eliminating busbars on the entrance, thus bettering effectivity however requiring particular instruments and processes,” stated Vikas Singh, common supervisor for the worldwide enterprise of Chinese photo voltaic manufacturing tools provider Yingkou Jinchen Machinery. “The transition would require heavy capital expenditures for retooling manufacturing traces, discovering new tools, and retraining personnel. For Indian producers, particularly those that function on tight margins, this generally is a problem. The excessive preliminary value could deter some gamers, particularly those that have lately upgraded.”
BC constructions may be carried out in numerous cell architectures, together with TOPCon and HJT, to enhance cell effectivity. BC’s photo voltaic cells have the potential to attain efficiencies of as much as 29.1% – a quantity acknowledged as the best efficiency potential of all silicon photo voltaic applied sciences. However, making bifacial cells is extra of a problem. The greater output of IBC on the entrance facet should still not justify the upper value in comparison with TOPCon.
Balachander Krishnan, chief working officer for Indosol Solar’s ingot-to-module plant, stated BC photo voltaic cells could not acquire a market share of not less than 10% till 2028. He famous a number of key obstacles to adoption of IBC. These embrace excessive capital expenditures, non-standardized processes with many various routes, and elevated operational prices. Reliability points, low yields, and better electrical rejections and breakdowns attributable to manufacturing complexities additionally pose challenges. The low bifaciality issue of 70% in comparison with TOPCon’s 80% additionally contributes to the problem of adoption.
Gyanesh Chaudhary, chairman and managing director of Vikram Solar, stated the fee sensitivity of the Indian market implies that the general value of photo voltaic, in {dollars} per watt-peak of panel technology capability, is critical. BC expertise entails advanced processes and better funding in the mean time. It is presently within the growth part and additional growth is anticipated in 2025.
Prepare for the transition
Until BC is resolved as a extra viable choice, producers wish to deal with processes of their present traces to extend cell effectivity. Many photo voltaic producers, nonetheless, have BC on their expertise roadmaps, as a number of of India’s high module makers have stated. pv journal.
“For tier-1 cell suppliers, TOPCon has already reached 26% effectivity of their manufacturing traces by introducing LECO [laser-enhanced contact opening] course of and edge passivation as an ordinary course of of their manufacturing traces,” stated Indosol’s Krishnan.
In that state of affairs, Krishnan believes that TOPCon has even greater potential to succeed in past 28% cell effectivity by adopting varied improvements together with double-sided TOPCon, optimizing the interface that design between a number of cell layers, a brand new cell construction to enhance service selectivity, polyfinger expertise, new silver pastes, and extra.
“With this clear roadmap in thoughts, producers will deal with using the utmost potential from the prevailing TOPCon traces. [than] specializing in newer expertise that has but to be confirmed in mass manufacturing when it comes to value, yield, and reliability,” he added.
Although some could begin early in adopting BC, realizing a few of the aforementioned prospects at TOPCon ought to preserve the expertise aggressive within the medium time period. “With again contact routes promising even greater effectivity than TOPCon, Indian producers ought to deal with integrating superior methods resembling selective doping, gentle trapping, and transmission of face,” stated Juhi Marwadi, director of module maker Pixon. “This will assist them stay aggressive within the world market as different producers may also change to high-efficiency cells.”
Regarding the transition to BC, authorities incentives, expertise, and workforce expertise are wanted to ease the transition.
“Manufacturers must assess their present manufacturing traces and perceive the extent of suitability for future BC manufacturing,” Marwadi stated. He defined that this consists of course of optimization for contact printing, customization, and module meeting, amongst different points. To ease the transition to BC, Marwadi stated he expects Indian producers to hunt partnerships with worldwide tech corporations and analysis institutes specializing in BC photo voltaic expertise. Such collaborations can velocity up the expertise switch course of and scale back the training curve for brand spanking new approaches. “Manufacturers must spend money on upskilling their workforce to deal with extra superior IBC processes,” Marwadi stated. “The Indian authorities’s PLI [production-linked incentive] The scheme and different incentives within the photo voltaic business could present monetary assist for producers transferring to next-generation applied sciences resembling IBC.
Hardip Singh, chief working officer of Grew Energy, says that the speedy tempo of technological growth within the photo voltaic business presents a serious problem for producers in India. The fee of return on funding in manufacturing expertise usually falls behind these advances. Singh stated he expects this development to proceed, requiring producers to adapt or discover new options. He famous that the producers have already requested for the assist of the federal government to resolve this challenge.
“With the anticipated transition to BC panels as early as 2025, we’re carefully monitoring the developments in BC applied sciences,” stated Suhas Donthi, president and CEO of Emmvee Group. “We are getting ready to introduce these cutting-edge options to the Indian market once they attain the proper stage for large-scale business deployment.”
This content material is protected by copyright and is probably not reused. If you wish to cooperate with us and wish to reuse a few of our content material, please contact: [email protected].
Popular content material
