LONGi launches N-type TOPcon bifacial module at SNEC 2021

PRESS RELEASE

LONGi Solar, the world’s largest module manufacturer, has used the occasion of the 15^th International Photovoltaic Electricity Generation and Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition (SNEC 2021) to unveil it’s new Hi-MO N module, launch a new “Lifecycle Quality” standard and showcase further module efficiency gains up to 25.21%.

At the moment module designs are dominated by p-type (positive charge) multi and mono substrates. This is set to change over the coming years as more and more developers and manufacturers develop n-type (negative charge) modules for use to combat LID and increase efficiency. Leading industry analyst, Dr Finlay Colville, points out from his most recent PV Manufacturing & Technology Quarterly report <insert hyperlink over the capitalised text – https://www.pv-tech.org/n-type-technology-cycle-to-dominate-pv-industry-spending-from-2024/ > (May 2021), that, “…all signs point to a dramatic shift to n-type substrates, with this higher efficiency platform gaining 50% market share by 2026.”

For more than a decade, LONGi Solar has led the way in R+D for mono wafers and bifacial module production. It is now leading the charge into the next generation of n-type modules.

In April, 2021, the company announced cell efficiency in its lab for N-type at 25.09%, this was the first time any organisation had broken through the 25% barrier. Now just over one month later, LONGi N-type cells have been independently tested by the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) in Hamelin, Germany (see https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/tag/longi-solar/)  and have managed to further improve cell efficiency to 25.21%.

Hi-MO N has been launched as a bifacial, TOPcon module (Passivated contacts), using optimally sized 182mm cells with a 72 cell module layout. The conversion efficiency of the mass produced product is already up to 22.3% achieving a 570w output.

This new module will be ideally suited for utility-scale PV power plants and complement the existing Hi-MO 5 p-type module which has been the most popular bi-facial module for solar developers since it launched in 2020.

A long history of successfully implementing leading R+D and applying that consistently into mass production is why LONGi is sought after as a supply partner for some of the world’s largest projects and leading developers. This constant development can be seen in how successful the current crop of Hi-MO 5 modules have become in Australia for developers keen to find increased return on their investments through value, reliability and local support.

The launch of Hi-MO N and the ongoing success in taking world leading lab cell efficiencies into mass production once again proves that LONGi is committed to putting the customer first while helping to propel the global energy transition.