A Golden Stone Energy production line
Image: Golden Stone Energy
Chinese PV manufacturer JA Solar and China-based PV equipment supplier Gold Stone Energy have reported a conversion efficiency of 28.2% for a hybrid back-contact (HBC) solar cell developed under their HBC industrialization project.
The result was certified by the German TÜV Rheinland and, according to the companies, sets a new world record for back-contact (BC) solar cell efficiency. The previous record for the BC architecture was held by Longi, which reported an efficiency of 28.13% for its hybrid interdigitated back-contact (HIBC) cell.
HBC technology combines a back-contact electrode structure with passivation technologies used in mainstream high-efficiency crystalline silicon cell architectures. The front of the cell has no metal grid lines, reducing optical shadow losses, while the rear contact design improves power consumption. The technology also aims to provide an upgrade path for existing TOPCon production assets.
Gold Stone Energy and JA Solar were previously connected through a 4 GW HBC upgrade and retrofit project. In a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Golden Solar said its subsidiary Golden Solar New Energy Technology would license HBC patent technology to a joint venture established by JA Solar’s unit Yiwu JA Solar and Gold Stone Energy. The project aims to produce HBC cells by adapting existing production capacity.
The announcement follows several recent efficiency gains in back contact by Chinese PV manufacturers. In late April, Trina Solar said its TOPCon-compatible hybrid back-contact (THBC) cell achieved an efficiency of 28.0%, certified by the German Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH). The company said the result was achieved using a large-area 210R cell, adding that this accelerates the industrialization of THBC modules.
The series of announcements highlights the growing competition around back-contact architectures as leading Chinese manufacturers pursue higher conversion efficiencies and improved module power density due to the rapid commercialization of TOPCon technology.
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