JinkoSolar’s latest n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules delivered higher energy output per watt than a competitor’s n-type back contact (BC) modules in a three-month field test in Kagoshima, Japan, under different irradiation levels.
During a three-month field test, JinkoSolar’s n-type TOPCon modules demonstrated significantly higher energy yield per watt compared to n-type BC modules.
The field test, conducted by TÜV Nord at a field test base in Kagoshima, Japan, was conducted from October to December 2024 as part of a year-long study.
It showed that JinkSolar’s TOPCon modules generated an average of 8.82% more energy per watt than n-type BC modules developed by an undisclosed manufacturer, with the highest monthly gain being 9.84%.
The test setup consisted of two modules from each manufacturer, installed on fixed supports 1.2 meters above the ground at a tilt angle of 32 degrees. The initial power of the modules was measured using the SAT method, where spectral correction was not included in the test results.
The study collected energy yield (DC) data at a one-minute sampling interval, in addition to module face irradiance, backplane temperature, ambient temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, all also at one-minute intervals.
The normalized energy yield of JinkoSolar’s TOPCon modules over the three months was 294.2 kWh/kW, compared to 270.2 kWh/kW for the n-type BC modules.
Analysis of energy yield performance under different irradiation levels showed that for most of the test period, irradiation levels were below 1000 W/m². Under these conditions, the average energy yield gain of n-type TOPCon modules reached 8.05%.
JinkoSolar added that the rainy season in Kagoshima was “an ideal setting to demonstrate the superior performance of TOPCon modules in low light.” The modules achieve an average daily energy gain of 9.13% per watt during a continuous period of 15 days of rain from October 15 to October 29.
Under higher irradiation conditions (more than 1,000 W/m²), the total three-month energy yield of TOPCon modules was 174.04 kWh, with a yield gain per watt of 8.10% compared to n-type BC modules.
“This indicates that TOPCon modules can provide higher yield under both rainy weather with low irradiation and sunny weather with high irradiation, thanks to their excellent low-light performance and high bifaciality coefficient,” said JinkoSolar.
The study also measured the performance ratio (PR) of each module by comparing the actual energy output with the theoretical output based on rated power and specific weather conditions. It calculated the PR value of TOPCon modules to be 97.8%, compared to 89.9% for the n-type BC modules.
JinkoSolar said this shows “that high bifacial TOPCon modules offer significant benefits in energy harvest efficiency for ground-mounted power plants.”
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