Evolution of The Solar Industry With Mono PERC, HJT & TOPCon Technology

Solar panel manufacturing technology has come a long way over the years, and there have been significant advancements recently with the introduction of mono PERC, Topcon and HJT technology. These new technologies have led to improvements in solar panel efficiency, durability, and overall performance, thus, making them a more viable and cost-effective option for renewable energy production. Let us discuss each solar PV module technology and understand the differences.

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PERC Solar PV Modules

In recent years, Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) solar panels have been gaining popularity in the solar panel industry as a viable option for creating more efficient solar power. These solar panels use PERC solar cells, an improved version of conventional solar cells. Their modified design allows them to generate 6 to 12 per cent more energy than their traditional counterparts.

About PERC Technology

PERC stands for Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell. The PERC solar cell has a presence of a passivation layer at the back side of the cell, which helps to minimize recombination losses and increase light absorption. The key role of the rear-side passivation layer is to reflect light that passes through the silicon cell without being absorbed back into the silicon. By reflecting this light, the passivation layer gives the solar cell a second chance at absorbing it, resulting in significant improvement in efficiency.

Advantages of PERC Solar Panels

PERC panels offer several benefits over traditional solar panels, which make them a popular choice for solar installers and customers. Here are the key advantages:

• Increased Energy Production: PERC solar panels have higher efficiency compared to traditional panels, resulting in increased power generation. It can add up to a 5% increase in energy production for a full PV system.
• Increased Low-light and High-heat Performance: PERC panels perform exceptionally well in low-light and high-heat environments, providing an increased efficiency of around 3%.
• High Area Efficiency: Because PERC panels are more efficient, they can achieve the same power output as traditional panels with fewer panels. This means a solar power system using PERC panels will need a lesser amount of space for installation.
• Reduced BOS Costs: With PERC panels, fewer panels can achieve the same output, resulting in reduced balance of system (BOS) costs, labour costs, and other soft costs such as inverters and disconnects.

Disadvantages of PERC solar panels

1. PERC solar panels are generally more expensive than traditional solar panels.
2. PERC solar panels are slightly more sensitive to shading than traditional solar panels.
3. PERC solar panels are a relatively new technology, there may be some uncertainty about their long-term durability and performance.

Applications of PERC solar panels

1. Residential rooftops:Mono PERC solar panels are a popular choice for residential rooftops due to their high efficiency, which allows homeowners to generate more electricity from a smaller roof space.
2. Commercial buildings: Mono PERC solar panels can also be used on commercial buildings, such as office buildings, shopping malls, and warehouses, to offset electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions.
3. Large-scale solar power plants: Mono PERC solar panels can be used in large-scale solar power plants to generate electricity on a utility scale.

TOPCon Solar Panels

TOPCon solar technology is a relatively new type of solar cell technology. TOPCon stands for “Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact”. 

About TOPCon Technology

The TOPCon solar cell structure consists of a thin tunnel oxide layer sandwiched between a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer and a p-doped crystalline silicon layer. The TCO layer acts as a front contact for the solar cell, while the p-doped layer acts as the absorber layer. The tunnel oxide layer acts as a passivation layer, preventing the recombination of charge carriers at the surface of the solar cell. Increased efficiency enables the solar panel to capture a greater amount of energy per unit area.

Advantages of TOPCon Solar Panels

The adoption of TOPCon solar technology has gained popularity due to several benefits associated with it. Here are some of the key advantages of using TOPCon solar cell technology:

1. Manufacturing process: TOPCon solar cells can be manufactured with the same machines as P-type solar cells, i.e. manufacturers don't need to make any high capital investment to adopt this technology, making it easier and more cost-effective to produce TOPCon solar panels on a large scale.
2. Higher efficiency: TOPCon cells are more efficient in converting sunlight into electricity than P-type cells. The maximum efficiency of TOPCon cells is around 28%, which is higher than the maximum efficiency of about 24% for PERC cells. This higher efficiency results in more electricity generation from a given surface area.
3. Lower degradation: TOPCon modules have a lower power degradation during the first year and over the 25 years of use, compared to PERC solar PV modules. Hence, they will maintain their efficiency for a longer time, resulting in a longer lifespan of the solar panels.
4. Lower temperature coefficient: The temperature coefficient of TOPCon solar panels is lower than that of PERC solar panels. It means that TOPCon solar panels can maintain their efficiency at higher temperatures, which is particularly important in hot climates.
5. Bifaciality rate: TOPCon cells have higher bifaciality than PERC cells. It means that TOPCon solar panels can generate electricity from both the front and the back of the solar panel.
6. Low light performance: TOPCon solar modules have higher efficiency in low-light conditions than PERC modules. It means that TOPCon solar panels can generate more electricity even when there is not enough sunlight. 

Disadvantages of TOPCon Solar PV Module Technology

Here are some potential challenges before TOPCon solar cell technology

1. Cost: TOPCon solar cells can be more expensive to produce than traditional solar cells due to the additional materials and manufacturing steps required to create the thin-film layers needed for the cell.
2. Complexity: The manufacturing process for TOPCon cells is more complex than for traditional cells, which can make it more difficult to scale up production to meet high demand.
3. High-temperature processing: The production of TOPCon cells requires high-temperature processing steps, which can lead to increased energy consumption and carbon emissions, as well as the risk of defects or damage to the cell.
4. Sensitivity to impurities: TOPCon cells are more sensitive to impurities in the materials used to create them, which can lead to reduced efficiency or even complete failure of the cell.

Comparison Between PERC and TOPCon Solar Technology

When compared to a PERC solar cell, a TOPCon solar cell appears visually identical once installed in a module. However, Unlike PERC cells, TOPCon cells are made from n-doped silicon, which is more challenging to manufacture. However, this material allows TOPCon cells to achieve higher degrees of efficiency.

Another significant difference is the more laborious passivation process used for TOPCon cells. Despite being more technically challenging, this process achieves a greater effect. Specifically, applying a layer of polycrystalline silicon to the rear side of the cell requires significant technical effort but allows the solar cell to handle higher voltages, resulting in an increase in overall efficiency.

Applications of TOPCon Solar Panels

1. Utility-scale : TOPCon solar panels are often used in utility-scale solar power plants due to their high efficiency, which allows for more electricity to be generated from a smaller area.
2. Agriculture and farming: TOPCon solar panels can be used for agricultural applications such as water pumping, irrigation, and crop drying, providing off-grid electricity to remote areas.
3. Electric vehicle charging stations:TOPCon solar panels can be used to power electric vehicle charging stations, allowing for clean and sustainable transportation.

HJT Solar PV Module 

Heterojunction (HJT) solar cell technology is a relatively new type of solar cell that has been gaining popularity in recent years. The design and structure of HJT allow for a more efficient conversion of sunlight into electricity.

About HJT Solar Panel Technology

Heterojunction solar panels are a type of photovoltaic panel that consists of three layers of photovoltaic material. These panels incorporate two distinct technologies: crystalline silicon and amorphous "thin-film" silicon, which work in harmony to produce electricity.

HJT cells consist of three main materials: Crystalline Silicon (c-Si), Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)

The first layer, made of amorphous silicon, captures sunlight before it reaches the crystalline layer, as well as any light that reflects off the underlying layers. The middle layer is composed of monocrystalline silicon, which is primarily responsible for converting most of the sunlight into electricity. The final layer is another amorphous thin-film silicon layer, located behind the crystalline silicon, which captures any remaining photons that have passed through the first two layers.

By combining these two technologies, heterojunction solar panels can generate more energy than either technology could produce independently. These panels can achieve efficiencies of 25% or higher, making them an attractive choice for solar energy generation.

Advantages of HJT Solar Panels

Here are the major benefits of Heterojunction (HJT) solar panels summarized into short points:

1. High Efficiency: HJT solar panels have a conversion efficiency of 26.07% for monofacial modules and over 30% for bifacial, making it one of the most efficient solar technologies in the industry.
2. Good Temperature Coefficient: HJT cells are less affected by changes in temperature, making them great for use in high-temperature locations.
3. High Bifaciality: HJT cells have a high bi-faciality factor of 92%, making them a great choice for utility-scale applications that can take advantage of the albedo resource.
4. Easy Manufacturing Process: The HJT solar PV module manufacturing process only involves 5-7 steps, and the cost of equipment is constantly being reduced, making it a cost-effective and promising technology for the future of solar energy.

Disadvantages of HJT Solar Panels

Heterojunction (HJT) solar panels offer several advantages, but they also have some drawbacks. Here are the main disadvantages of HJT solar panels:

1. High Cost: HJT panels are more expensive due to the additional steps in manufacturing and costly materials.
2. Fragility: HJT panels are thin and have a complex structure, making them more vulnerable to damage.
3. Sensitivity to Humidity: HJT panels are sensitive to moisture, which can reduce their efficiency or damage the panel.
4. Complexity of Production: The manufacturing process for HJT panels requires specialized knowledge and equipment.
5. Low Manufacturing Scale: HJT panels are produced at a lower scale than traditional panels, which can make them more expensive and harder to find.
6. New Technology: HJT panels are a relatively new technology, and experience with installation and maintenance may be limited.

Comparison Between HJT and TOPCon Solar PV Module Technology

TOPCon and HJT solar panels are two advanced solar technologies that offer high efficiency and reliability. Here are some general features where two solar panels can differ:

1. HJT panels have higher efficiency and bi-faciality, but are more complex and expensive to manufacture, and are sensitive to humidity.
2. TOPCon panels have a simpler manufacturing process, lower cost, and are less sensitive to humidity, but have lower efficiency and bi-faciality compared to HJT panels.

Applications of HJT Solar Panels

1. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV): HJT solar panels can be integrated into building facades, roofs, and windows to generate electricity while also providing architectural design and energy-saving benefits.
2. Space-constrained applications: HJT solar panels are a good choice for space-constrained applications such as portable solar chargers, off-grid cabins, and small boats, due to their high efficiency and compact size.
3. Utility-scale solar power plants: HJT solar panels can be used in large utility-scale solar power plants, especially for projects with higher solar irradiance, which increases the efficiency of the HJT panels.

Conclusion 

In summary, HJT panels offer the highest efficiency and bi-faciality, but are the most complex and expensive to manufacture and are sensitive to humidity. TOPCon solar panels have a simpler manufacturing process and are less sensitive to humidity, but have lower efficiency and bifaciality compared to HJT panels. Mono PERC panels have a simpler manufacturing process than both HJT and TOPCon panels but have lower efficiency and bifaciality compared to HJT panels.

In India, PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell) technology is widely used and is considered a good choice for most applications. Moreover, Mono PERC solar panels are known for their reliability, durability, and longevity. Topcon panels are relatively expensive and may not be cost-effective for all applications. Both TOPCon & HJT solar panels are also relatively expensive and  Both TOPCon & HJT may not be widely available in India.

We can conclude Mono PERC panels are a good choice for most solar applications in India, but the suitability of a particular technology ultimately depends on a variety of factors. It is best to consult with a reputable solar energy company to determine the most appropriate technology for your specific needs and budget.

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If you’re new to the world of solar power, it can be daunting to take that first step. Massive leaps in innovation have pushed the industry forward, creating more accessible options for consumers than ever before. Thanks to increased adoption and economies of scale, solar technology is now an affordable, accessible, eco-friendly choice. But with so many options, it’s hard to know where to begin.

The first step in switching to solar is identifying what type of solar panels you need. There are many different models of photovoltaic solar panels on the market today, each with unique benefits, downsides, and characteristics. Here’s a rundown of the four major types to help you make the right choice for your family’s energy needs.

Monocrystalline PV panels get their name from the design of the solar cells.

Monocrystalline photovoltaic cells are made from a single lab-grown crystal of purified silicon.

Manufacturers achieve this uninterrupted internal structure by processing polycrystalline silicon and shaping it into ingots.

The pure ingots of pure silicon are then sliced into wafers and precision cut into the desired size and shape.

After a lengthy manufacturing process, monocrystalline PV cells are combined and framed into a photovoltaic module such as a solar panel.

A 400W rigid solar panel typically contains around 60 monocrystalline solar cells framed under a transparent surface like tempered glass and surrounded with a durable metal such as stainless steel or aluminum.

By eliminating impurities and optimizing the photovoltaic material, monocrystalline solar panels deliver much greater efficiency than cheaper polycrystalline panels.

One downside of monocrystalline PV panels is that the production process generates more waste. Up to 50% of the raw materials like silicon are discarded to produce a single solar cell.

For some eco-minded people switching to solar energy, that may be a turn-off. However, because these panels boast higher efficiency than polycrystalline or thin film options — meaning they generate more electricity per square meter — many believe the trade-off is worthwhile.

Over the long term, monocrystalline solar panels can reduce your reliance on utility grid electricity generated by fossil fuels and increase your solar return on investment.

Another common type of solar panel on the market today is the polycrystalline panel. This variety isn’t as aesthetically desirable or efficient as its monocrystalline counterpart. Because of its construction, it doesn’t have the signature all-black look of a monocrystalline panel. That said, it’s more affordable and still gets the job done.

Polycrystalline panels are recognizable by their rectangular shape and blue finish. Because they contain many silicon crystals in every cell, they have a speckled, twinkling appearance when the sun reflects off them.

Polycrystalline panels are sometimes called multi-crystalline panels because of their construction. These PV panels use silicone, similar to monocrystalline cells. However, they consist of many polycrystalline fragments melted together, giving them their characteristic checkerboard appearance.

During construction, manufacturers melt raw silicon and pour it into square molds. The molds remove the additional step required with monocrystalline cells to cut their ends. Polycrystalline panels come out of the molds in their final shape.

In the last step, manufacturers will assemble smaller individual squares into one larger panel. This process creates less waste and has a smaller footprint for material use, making them a more environmentally-friendly choice than monocrystalline panels — at least up front.

Polycrystalline panels are between 15-17% efficient. They’re in a lower tier than monocrystalline options when it comes to efficiency. They also have a shorter lifespan. Because there are many individual crystals in each cell, there is less freedom for electrons to move around. All this means that they don’t generate as much electricity or for as long.

While they can’t boast the high efficiency of monocrystalline panels, they’re still a decent option to get the most bang for your buck in the short term. Because their construction is less resource-intensive than monocrystalline models, they can be a cost-effective option for those trying to switch to solar on a budget.

The slight increase in efficiency provided by the additional steps and materials used in PERC solar panel manufacturing doesn’t impact the rated power output per square meter sufficiently to change the dimensions of residential PV modules.

The rated power output and efficiency is far more impacted by the use of monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon wafers in PERC cell construction.

If you can get PERC monocrystalline solar panels for the same price or lower than traditional mono panels, it’s worth considering.

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Evaluate the rated power and efficiency of each module and use that plus any difference in cost to inform your purchase decision.

Thin-film panels apply sheets of photovoltaic material mounted atop a substrate. Believe it or not, they’re approximately 350 times thinner than monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules.

Unlike other types of PV panels, thin-film uses various materials in their construction, including silicon, copper indium gallium selenide, and cadmium telluride. The silicon used in thin-film panels differs from that used in monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules. Instead of being solid, it is a non-crystalline type of silicon.

In construction, manufacturers put a layer of glass on top to capture sunlight. Beneath it, there is a semiconductor layer between two layers of transparent conduit.

The thing that sets thin-film panels apart from the pack is their flexibility. Unlike the rigid PV panels suited for rooftop installations, the ultra-thin construction of thin-film panels means they can bend and fit the surface that you fix them to without breaking. Because of this flexible construction, these panels are often mounted on RVs or other vehicles with curved surfaces or incorporated into wearable or handheld devices.

Thin-film panels are available in a variety of sizes. This variety is one feature that draws people to thin-film panels, as it allows for their use in many different locations. However, the lack of standard sizing also makes it harder to quantify their power capacity. The size of the panel will largely determine the power capacity.

That said, thin-film panels generally have a lower power capacity than monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules of the same size. While this is a downside for some buyers, the flexible application of these panels means it’s possible to harness solar energy in places that aren’t accessible to panels with rigid construction.

The efficiency of a thin-film solar panel is significantly lower than other crystalline panels. On average, efficiency gets up to around 11%. Because of this, you would need a large amount of surface area to generate a substantial amount of solar energy using thin-film panels alone.

It’s also worth noting that thin-film tends to degrade faster than other types of panels because of their flexibility and thin construction. Unfortunately, this often means that products are not under warranty for as long. Before purchasing thin-film solar panels, ask the manufacturer or installation company about their warranty policy to ensure you can get the most out of your investment.

How each of the four types of solar panels are designed varies by model. Right off the bat, monocrystalline panels are designed to be much smaller than other options because they’re more efficient per area.

In contrast, thin-film panels require a larger surface to offer efficiency. Monocrystalline panels are black and more uniform with sharp corners, while polycrystalline has a checkerboard look due to the crystal fragments melted together to form the shape.

Thin-film panels also stand out with a uniform surface comprised of layers of solar photovoltaic material. Depending on the material composition, they can look blue, black, or grey.

Another key difference among the options is price. Polycrystalline panels are the cheapest, while both monocrystalline and thin-film panels are more expensive. Polycrystalline are cheaper and quicker to make, so they’re more affordable and fall in the range of $0.90 to $1.00 per watt produced.

Monocrystalline panels require more intensive materials and production, so they’re much more costly and cost in the range of $1.00 – $1.50 per watt produced. However, due to their increased efficiency, this higher cost up-front translates to more savings down the road.

Thin-film panels are also a high-end option, costing you around the same amount as monocrystalline panels, around $1.00 – $1.50 per watt produced.

While this tends to reflect general trends in pricing, there may be exceptions, especially if you find panel options on sale. Whatever panel you end up choosing, make sure you look into what government incentives are available!

The efficiency of solar panels greatly impacts cost, especially for monocrystalline and polycrystalline options. Monocrystalline panels cost more because they work more efficiently (around 20%), while polycrystalline panels are a more affordable option because they won’t work quite as well (efficiency is typically between 10-15%).

Thin-film panels, however, typically have efficiency ratings between 7-18% yet are still costly.

If you’re looking to save money on initial installation costs, polycrystalline can be a good option, but if you want the most energy-efficient choice, that would be monocrystalline panels, as they’ll save you more on electricity costs over time.

Thin-film panels are best used to augment monocrystalline or polycrystalline arrays by affixing them to curved or irregular surfaces where rigid panels aren’t an option. While they do offer a lower efficiency, when you’re dealing with abnormal or irregular surfaces, they allow you to maximize your surface area.

Each panel type is constantly being researched and improved upon over time, and options today are more efficient, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing than ever. While thin-film options are still working toward efficiencies closer to those of poly and mono panels, their performance will certainly improve as more innovations are developed.

The percent decrease in your solar panel’s productivity for each degree (Celcius) increase in temperature over 25ºC (77ºF) is known as the temperature coefficient. The lower the coefficient, the less productive they’ll be as the temperature rises over this baseline level.

For instance, let’s say your solar panel has a temperature coefficient of -0.3%/ºC. In that case, your solar panels would become 0.3% less efficient for each increase of the temperature of one degree Celsius over 25ºC (77ºF).

The coefficient for monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels is around -0.3 and -0.5%/ºC. For thin-film panels, the temperature coefficient is only around -0.2%/ºC.

What does this mean? Thin-film solar panels will remain more efficient in hotter weather than either type of crystalline panel; however, most areas won’t be significantly impacted.

It’s important for your solar panels to be able to withstand the conditions they’ll be exposed to. Regarding durability and weather resistance, crystalline panels are the most withstanding, while thin-film panels are more likely to sustain damage from bad weather, especially hail. And between mono and poly, you can trust monocrystalline panels to be highly durable in nearly all weather conditions. Polycrystalline panels are still durable to weather, but they tend to have more sensitivity to heat.

You can often find special features or ratings to help determine whether the panels you’re considering are fire-, hail-, and hurricane-resistant.

The photovoltaic PERC solar panels are made from either monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon.

Additional materials and processing are needed for a slight uptick in efficiency.

If you’re looking for the most efficient PV modules available, a mono-perc solar panel may offer a minimal increase in performance over a traditional monocrystalline panel.

However, a traditional monocrystalline solar panel will significantly outperform a PERC polycrystalline solar panel every time — unless the mono panel is of inferior manufacturing quality.

The minimal gain in performance with mono-PERC vs. monocrystalline solar panels may not justify the increased price.

Another critical factor when deciding which type of solar panel is best for you is the installation cost. As this can increase the overall cost of converting to solar, it’s worth your careful consideration.

On average, installation costs range from $15,000 and $25,000. Typically, hotter, sunnier climates have larger solar markets because there’s greater competition. The labor cost is often more affordable than in cold places with fewer peak sun hours where solar energy isn’t as plentiful.

Keep in mind that government incentives may be able to help you save substantially on equipment and installation costs.

Want to save some cash? One option to forgo installation and labor costs is to use portable solar panels. These don’t require expert installation; you merely set them up on the foldable kickstand that doubles as a case for easy transport and no-installation use anywhere there’s sunlight.

Which of the 4 Main Types of Solar Panels Are the Most Efficient
Monocrystalline panels are the most efficient option available compared to polycrystalline and thin-film options because of the materials and process used to manufacture them, polycrystalline panels are the second-most efficient option, and thin-film panels fall last. PERC PV modules also use crystalline silicon and may offer slightly higher efficiency than traditional silicon solar panels — at a higher price.

What Is the Most Effective Type of Solar Panel?
While all panel types are effective at generating solar energy, monocrystalline panels are the most efficient. Monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules are the best choice to maximize solar electricity production because they offer the highest rated power output per square meter (surface area) compared to polycrystalline and thin-film options.

What Are the Main 4 Types of Solar Panels?
The four main types of solar panels include monocrystalline, polycrystalline, thin-film, and PERC, which stands for Passive Emitter and Rear Cell. PERC panels are a newer option looking to make solar more efficient at a low cost.

Home solar power gives you autonomy over your energy in a way that the traditional electricity grid never can. Ultimately, only you can decide what type of panel will suit your needs.

However, if you need some help, consulting with an expert at a solar installation company can ensure you make the best choice. When you pick the right type of solar panels for your needs, you’ll be ready to harness the sun’s power for years.

Finding the right panels for your needs at a price that fits your budget is the first step to realizing the benefits of solar. EcoFlow offers high-quality monocrystalline solar panel options at various wattages to meet your needs, whether you want solar power for on-the-go hikes, campouts, RV trips, outdoor events, or even to power your whole home. We even offer flexible panels that can be mounted on a range of surfaces, so you don’t have to sacrifice quality for the logistics of your setup.

Remember, you need a power station or solar generator to store captured solar energy for future use. EcoFlow Solar Generators combine portable power stations and solar panels to allow you to create and store your own electricity. If solar is the right fit for your home, EcoFlow is here to help. With efficient, convenient, and competitively-priced products, you’re sure to find your perfect fit in our selection.

The company is the world’s best PERC Mono Solar Panel PERC(es,el,hi) supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.