{"id":412,"date":"2021-08-16T14:13:13","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T14:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.solartraders.com\/?p=412"},"modified":"2021-08-16T14:13:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T14:13:14","slug":"jinko-n-type-solar-panels-breaking-efficiency-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.solartraders.com\/en\/2021\/08\/16\/jinko-n-type-solar-panels-breaking-efficiency-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Jinko N-type solar panels breaking efficiency records?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As our society\u2019s power consumption is growing by the minute, the question of how much usable energy can actually be harvested from a solar project is something any potential investor will most definitely want to know. It should come as no surprise that manufacturers have their R&D teams rack their brains over how to increase PV panel efficiency. The math is pretty simple: the more energy your solar project is able to convert, the less time it will take before your initial investment pays off and you start seeing real savings.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s not forget, of course, about other considerations, such as PV panel location, their orientation, maintenance quality, or unpredictable weather patterns. Efficiency remains, however, among the key elements that allow distinguishing between a Tier 1 panel and the rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar panel efficiency \u2013 main facts\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While solar panel efficiency is relatively easy to define as the amount of sunlight that gets converted into usable energy<\/strong>, the factors that determine it are a little less straightforward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to measure the conversion efficiency of the whole solar panel, we need to know, first of all, the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells <\/strong>it is built from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What influences PV cell efficiency?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The material the cell is made of.\u00a0<\/li>
  2. Its structure and\u00a0design.\u00a0<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Among the semiconductor solar cell materials, silicon <\/strong>is the most traditional and the most widely used. Why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On one hand, it is easy and relatively cheap to produce, which plays a great commercial role in making solar panels commercially attractive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On the other hand, its crystalline structure<\/strong> \u2013 also called lattice <\/strong>\u2013 is highly organized, which allows for a better conversion of light into electricity.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Difference between n-type and p-type silicon solar cells\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Not all silicon solar wafers are the same, though. The two most common distinction is between the n-type and the p-type silicon cells. The \u201cN\u201d and the \u201cP\u201d letter refers to whether a given cell is built on a negatively or positively charged silicon base.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the case of the p-type solar panels, the wafer base gets positively doped with boron while its top \u2013 negatively doped with phosphorus.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The opposite technique is used for the n-type cells, and the negatively charged part is the cell\u2019s base<\/strong>. Both methods allow for the formation of a p-n junction<\/strong>, which, in simple terms, means that the electricity can flow through the cell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Source:\u00a0The Technical and Economic Viability of Replacing n-type with p-type Wafers for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells<\/a>\u00a0by Nathan L. Chang, Matthew Wright, Renate Egan, and Brett Hallam\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Now that we have the scientific part covered, let\u2019s ask ourselves if there are any differences between the n-type and the p-type cells when it comes to their business potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Efficiency\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first one will definitely be their efficiency and the consequent yield<\/strong>. Speaking of solar panels in general, the buyer should expect their efficiency to be somewhere between 15 to 20+ range, n-type panels placing themselves on top of the ladder<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why do n-type solar panels have higher efficiency?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It has to do mainly with the so-called boron-oxygen (BO) defec<\/strong>t, which is responsible for the degradation of the carrier lifetime of B-doped silicon materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This problem, common in the p-type solar cells, fortunately, does not bother the phosphorus-doped n-type cells, making them more efficient in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0927024819301357<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The n-type cells are also immune to another negative effect called the Light Induced Degradation (LID). <\/strong>LID \u2013 also referred to as \u201cthermal shock\u201d \u2013 can be defined as a difference between the STC-certified rating of a solar panel and its real performance and quality at the initial stages of exposition to the sun (the very first few hours)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cost\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even though the first solar cells, manufactured back in the 1950s, were of the n-type, they were quickly overshadowed by a growing demand for p-type wafers. How come? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s not forget that at the early stage of its development, solar technology found use principally in space applications which meant extended exposure of solar panels to different kinds of radiation. The p-type cells simply proved to be much more resistant to that radiation than the n-type ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As solar panels became more and more popular, the p-type silicon material found a constantly growing market. Not only were different versions of p-type panels developed but their massive production started to benefit from economies of scale. As the unit production cost of p-type wafers got progressively lower, their final price became much more attractive<\/strong> than that of the n-type wafers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Today, however, the situation is changing. Solar technology has found new uses and panel efficiency is becoming more important than ever. Customers want to see real savings fast, which means there is a lot of market pressure for better conversion results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this new reality, n-type cell technology is gradually coming out from the shadows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    According to the ITRPV <\/strong>forecast, its market share is expected to grow substantially (to about 28%) before the end of this decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    \u00a0
    Source:\u00a0    International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), Ninth Edition, 2018.\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    One of the companies participating in the race for higher efficiency is Jinko Solar (NYSE: JKS). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jinko Solar \u2013 company overview\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Jinko Solar \u2013 a Chinese manufacturer founded in Shanghai in 2006 \u2013 is currently one of the world\u2019s largest and the most innovative solar product suppliers, with a market share of about 14.3%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It has 12 production plants, over 30 international sales and service offices, 25+ warehouses, and 25.000 employees that help to attend to the company\u2019s 3000 customers in 160 different countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jinko Solar\u2019s integrated annual capacity is 20 GW for mono wafers, 11 GW for solar cells, and 25 GW for solar modules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Source:\u00a02021 Company Profile<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Based on\u00a0the\u00a0Q1 2021 financial highlights<\/a>, this year has brought Jinko Solar the following commercial results so far:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n