The average solar buyer probably isn&#;t paying attention to whether solar panels are made with p-type or n-type solar cells. There are more important things to worry about, like power output and aesthetics. But in case anyone was wondering what those letters mean and how they may affect solar panel buying in the future, here&#;s a crash course on the science behind solar cells.
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First, a conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell is a silicon wafer doped with various chemicals to encourage power production. The main difference between p-type and n-type solar cells is the number of electrons. A p-type cell usually dopes its silicon wafer with boron, which has one less electron than silicon (making the cell positively charged). An n-type cell is doped with phosphorus, which has one more electron than silicon (making the cell negatively charged).
Although the first solar cell invented by Bell Labs in was n-type, the p-type structure became more dominant due to demand for solar technologies in space. P-type cells proved to be more resistant to space radiation and degradation. Since so much research was thrown into space-related solar technology, it was only natural that p-type cell dominance trickled down to the residential solar market.
But more solar manufacturers are adopting n-type structures because of their additional benefits. For one, since n-type cells use phosphorus instead of boron, they are immune to boron-oxygen defects, which cause decreased efficiency and purity in p-type structures. N-type cells are in turn more efficient and are not affected by light-induced degradation (LID).
The International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) predicts that the market share of p-type mono-c-Si will hold around 30% through , while n-type mono-c-Si will increase to about 28% from barely 5% in . This correlates to the industry demand for more high-efficiency modules, so solar buyers can expect more n-type designs entering the mainstream.
The R&D behind both cell types is strong. While n-type solar cells may be more efficient at a surface-level, outputs on both types can be similar. Some examples to compare:
This June, REC released its N-Peak panel, a 60-cell n-type mono-c-Si module with half-cut cells rated at 330 W. In April, LONGi reached a record with its 60-cell p-type PERC mono-c-Si module with half-cut cells rated at 360 W.
Last May, Trina Solar hit 24.13% efficiency with its n-type mono-c-Si solar cell. This May, JinkoSolar hit a record-breaking 23.95% efficiency with its p-type mono-c-Si solar cell.
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(1) In terms of bifacial rate, N-type solar cells have a higher bifacial rate than P-type solar cells. The PERC (P-Type) cell has a bifacial rate of 75%, TOPCon (N-Type) has a bifacial rate of 85%, and HJT (N-Type) has a bifacial rate of approximately 95%. The higher the bifacial rate, the greater the power generation gain on the rear of the module, particularly in PV power stations with high surface reflectivity.
(2) In terms of temperature coefficient, PERC cells have one of the lowest at -0.37%/°C, TOPCon cells have one of the highest at -0.29%/°C, and HJT cells have one of the lowest at -0.24%/°C. N-type cells have a lower temperature coefficient than P-type cells, therefore they are less influenced by high temperatures, resulting in greater power generation performance and suitability for places with superior irradiation conditions.
(3) In terms of attenuation, N-type silicon wafers are phosphorus-doped and have a very low boron content, so the light degradation (LID) generated by boron and oxygen pairs is practically non-existent. The PERC module exhibits 2%-2.5% attenuation in the first year and 0.45%-0.55% attenuation year by year, the TOPCon module exhibits 1% attenuation in the first year and 0.40% attenuation year by year, and the HJT module exhibits 1% attenuation in the first year and 0.25% attenuation year by year. In the case of the same comprehensive output power, the entire life cycle power generation of an N-type module is more than that of a PERC module, and the premium space is larger.
(4) In terms of power generation efficiency, N-type cells have a longer oligomer life than P-type cells, which can significantly improve the battery&#;s open-circuit voltage and lead to higher battery conversion efficiency. Boron, which is used in P-type cells, performs well enough but has significant drawbacks. For one reason, it causes Light Induced Degradation (LID), which affects the effectiveness of solar panels by roughly 1.5% after their first few days in the sun. This LID effect is not a scam. It is factored into the wattage of the panels. However, it reduces efficiency and is one of the reasons why people are frequently overly hopeful about how much electricity their new solar systems would create. N-type solar panels can reach efficiency levels of up to 25.7 % as compared to 23.6% of P-type panels. High conversion efficiency can boost power generation per unit area while lowering PV power generation manufacturing costs.
(5)In terms of low-light effect, N-type batteries have a better spectral response under low-light conditions, a longer effective working time, and can generate electricity in low-irradiation intensity time periods such as morning and evening, cloudy and rainy days, with better economy than P-type batteries.
(6)In terms of cost, the price of solar cells has recently fallen, with P-type cells costing about 0.081 euros/W and N-type cells costing about 0.088 euros/W. P-type solar cells have a price advantage over N-type solar cells. This is because P-type solar panels have been around for much longer, and there is more manufacturing technology available to create these P-type solar panels at a lower cost than N-type solar panels.
(7)When comparing overall lifespan, n-type solar panels do have a longer lifespan than p-type solar panels due to their construction. N-type Si (silicon) solar cell materials have extremely low boron content, and the light-induced degradation effects caused by boron-oxygen pairs can be largely disregarded. Consequently, N-type Si solar cells possess a longer minority carrier lifetime compared to P-type Si solar cells. These advantages result in N-type Si solar cells having a longer lifespan and higher efficiency.
(8)Although the first solar cell invented by Bell Labs in was N-type, the P-type structure became more dominant due to demand for solar technologies in space. P-type cells proved to be more resistant to space radiation and degradation.
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