What is the global production capacity of PERC cells?

The global production capacity of PERC cells was less than 1 GW in 2014 and has since grown to more than 60 GW in 2019 (F. Colville, 2019). This dramatic growth in PERC production capacity over the last 5 years was accompanied by continuous cell and module efficiency improvements.

What is PERC technology?

Other advanced panel technologies PERC is only one of the available technologies to improve efficiency and applications for solar panels. There are other advanced technologies like Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) and Bifacial Solar Cell (BSC) technology. Manufacturers can use either one or even combine PERC with IBC or BSC.

When did PERC technology start?

PERC technology was first described in the University of New South Wales in 1983 but officially registered in a paper in 1989. The PERC solar cell finally allowed PV modules to move over the 20% conversion efficiency that has been the norm for several years in the industry.

What is the difference between PERC and IBC solar cells?

Efficiency for IBC solar cells is higher in general, but the highest recorded efficiency for both technologies is similar. The highest efficiency for PERC solar cells was recorded at 25.0%, while IBC solar cells achieved a 25.4% conversion efficiency. The biggest downside for IBC technology is that it has a higher cost than PERC solar panels.

Is there a pathway to increase PERC cell efficiency?

From our experimental study and observed cell parameter improvements, we show a pathway for the increase in PERC cell efficiency. This has many similarities to the pathways suggested by Min et al. (2017), which was based on simulation and modelling.

Does PERC improve efficiency?

This paper investigated the efficiency gains experimentally achieved in our lab with several industrially-feasible PERC improvements, leading from a baseline PERC efficiency of 20.7% to improved PERC devices with 21.9% efficiency.