<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/tindo-teams-up-with-unsw-to-develop-topcon-technology-the-next-frontier-in-solar-pv/>
"Australia’s only solar module manufacturer Tindo Solar says it will partner
with researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to explore the
development of TOPCon solar cells, seen as key to improving efficiency.
The Adelaide headquartered Tindo announced on Wednesday that it would work
alongside UNSW on two projects exploring TOPCon solar cell technology.
TOPCon, which stands for tunnel oxide passivated contact, was developed in the
early 1980s by Professor Martin Green at UNSW and, in laboratory testing, can
achieve power conversion efficiency of around 27 per cent, compared to the
limit of 25 per cent for current PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) solar
cells.
However, despite the technology dating back to Australia in the 1980s, TOPCon’s
commercial development only began in the early 2010s thanks to work done by
German scientific institute Fraunhofer ISE and, more recently, the Chinese
solar industry.
Backed by funding from the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE)
program, the newly announced research agreement will pair Tindo’s expertise in
manufacturing processes and material supply chains with UNSW’s world-class
research capabilities to take TipCon cellsoutside of the laboratory.
The research will look specifically at how they will function under the heat,
humidity, UV exposure, and weather extremes of Australia.
Ensuring that TopCon solar cells are capable of withstanding real-world
stresses without a loss to performance is a crucial step in reducing the
levelised cost of energy (LCoE)."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
