Canadian Solar Sets 23.81% World Record Efficiency for Silicon Solar Cell

Canadian Solar has announced it has set a world record of 23.81% conversion efficiency for n-type large area multi-crystalline silicon solar cell.

Canadian Solar, one of the world’s largest solar power companies, has announced its technology team set a world record of 23.81 percent conversion efficiency for n-type large area multi-crystalline silicon solar cell.

The record-setting N-type P5 cell conversion efficiency was recently tested and certified by Germany’s Institute für Solarenergieforschung GmbH (ISFH). This is the third time within a span of nine months that the company has set multi-crystalline solar cell conversion efficiency world record (see 22.8 percent and 22.28 percent records for p-type multi-crystalline cells).

Dr. Shawn Qu, chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar said, “I am very pleased to announce that we broke the world record yet again. This is a milestone for our revolutionary n-type P5 technology development. It proves that both our p-type and n-type multi-crystalline silicon technology can achieve efficiencies as good as mono. We remain focused on expanding our technology pipeline to provide our customers with the most LCOE-competitive products.”

The manufacturer has been developing and is commercially launching its P5 cell technology and solar module products. In September 2019, Canadian Solar set a world record of 22.8 percent conversion efficiency for p-type P5 cell. The 23.81 percent record efficiency multi-crystalline cell was fabricated utilizing 157mmx157mm (area 246.44 cm2) n-type P5 silicon wafer and PASCon (Passivated Contact) technology.

In February we had reported that the manufacturer had signed a multi-year module supply agreement with Lightsource BP to deliver 1.2 GW of high efficiency polycrystalline solar modules for projects in the US and Australia.

The projects will be using Canadian Solar’s polycrystalline bifacial high power BiHiKu (CS3W-PB-AG) and high power HiKu (CS3W-P) modules. Bifacial modules generate power from both the front and the rear sides of the module, which increases the power output compared to conventional monofacial modules. The very high output of the BiHiKu bifacial modules will maximise the power generation in a limited area of the plant site, while dramatically reducing the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of the power plant.