HJT requires fewer manufacturing steps than other technologies used to increase efficiency, and so is cheaper than many, including PERC. That’s comparable to the best solar panels on the market today. But when they are used in HJT, overall PV efficiency increases - often up to 21% or more. By themselves, they are not very efficient, topping out at around 12%. Thin-films are easy to produce and less costly than first-generation solar cells. Then, more solar energy can be converted into electricity. These extra layers of PV material can capture solar energy that the silicon wafer didn’t absorb. In HJT, a thin-film amorphous-Si, (a-SI), layer - with no regular crystal structure - is added on both sides of a mono-Si or poly-Si wafer. Many of the highest efficiency panels on the market today, like REC Group’s Alpha Series, use this technology. They wanted to integrate this advance into their own products. Once its patent expired in 2010, many solar companies conducted HJT research to improve panel efficiency. In its quest to increase efficiency and power output of PV cells, Sanyo (later Panasonic) developed heterojunction technologies (HJT) in the 1980s. (That is, after 25 years, your solar system is producing 83+% of its original power output.) 2. In the meantime, check your warranty to see if your PERC-enhanced system is covered for power loss. Hopefully, further developments will rectify the problem of reduced efficiency with PERC. One study found that up to 20% efficiency could be lost in 2-3 years from PERC. PERC affords a 1% increase in efficiency which is admittedly modest at best.Īlso, PERC solar cells are susceptible to a specific type of degradation called “light and elevated temperature-induced degradation,” (LeTID), which reduces efficiency over time. They also bounce back light that has passed through the cell the first time onto the surface so that it can be converted to usable electricity. They enhance the movement of electrons in the cell. In this technology, there are two layers applied to the back of the crystalline silicon cell. Passivated emitter rear cell (PERC)Īs thin-film technology developed in the ‘80s, PERC is an add-on technology that aims to improve the efficiency of first-generation solar cells. Here’s a brief look at the major PV technological advances in efficiency to date with a glimpse into the future of photovoltaics, too. Solar panel technologies to boost efficiency Wrap up: solar panel technologies designed to increase efficiency.Solar panel efficiency improvements in research.

Latest developments in solar panel efficiency.

Solar panel technologies to boost efficiency.

Bipv solar panel