TOPCon solar module tech from Taiwan

Taiwanese solar cell and module manufacturer Motech Industries plans to invest TWD 1.5 billion ($54.2 million) to increase its production capacity for TOPCon solar cells from 15 MW to 200 MW.

According to the Taipei Times, the company is expanding TOPCon cell output to meet growing demand for high-efficiency solar modules.

“As photovoltaic systems integrator companies become more educated about the benefits of TOPCon solar cells, we are seeing strong demand,” President Fred Yeh reportedly said. “Orders are backed up into the second quarter of 2022.”

Motech Industries began developing a pilot TOPCon cell production line with the support of Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in 2018. In October 2019, it said that its TOPCon cell had reached a power conversion efficiency of 23.2%.

In its home market, the company offers a TOPCon module with a maximum power output of 360 W and an efficiency of 21.1%. The XN60CA-B product is based on 120 half-cut n-type monocrystalline TOPCon cells and is sold in five versions with a nominal power ranging from 340 to 360 W. Its open-circuit voltage is between 40.9 V and 42.1 V and the short-circuit current between 10.49 A and 10.57A. The panel can operate with a maximum system voltage of 1,500 V.

The module measures 1,702 mm × 1,002 mm × 40 mm and weighs in at 20.1 kg. It comes with a 25-year performance guarantee and a 12-year product warranty. According to the manufacturer, its power output can still reach 89.4% of its original performance after 25 years. Its power temperature coefficient is -0.32% per degree Celsius.

Motech Industries has undergone a comprehensive restructuring process in recent years, due to  the Taiwanese cell and module industry crisis, which began in 2018, when the Chinese module industry was able to offer very cheap prices due to overcapacity. But now that module prices are skyrocketing and supply bottlenecks are reported in all markets, the tide seems to have turned for Taiwan’s solar manufacturers.