PV Magazine International intl_tech D1

发布：2026-05-27 · 事件：2026-05-27

Study finds POLO back junction solar cells could outperform PERC on costs in Europe A German research team conducted a techno-economic analysis of POLO back-junction (BJ) solar cells in Germany, findi...

Study finds POLO back junction solar cells could outperform PERC on costs in Europe A German research team conducted a techno-economic analysis of POLO back-junction (BJ) solar cells in Germany, finding that they can offer significant cost and efficiency advantages over PERC technology. Their results show that POLO BJ enables lower production costs, reduced silver use, and lower levelized electricity costs, making it a promising candidate for competitive European PV manufacturing. May 26, 2026 Emiliano Bellini Markets Markets & Policy Modules & Upstream Manufacturing Technology and R&D Germany A POLO-IBC cell with an area of 4 cm2. Image: Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) Share Researchers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have conducted techno-economic analysis of producing n + -type polysilicon on oxide (POLO ) back junction (BJ) solar cells in Germany and have concluded that the associated costs and benefits could be significant compared with photovoltaic cells manufactured using passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology. “We conducted the research in collaboration with the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), Centrotherm and German technology company LPKF ,” the research's lead author, Juan Camilo Gómez Trillos , told pv magazine . “We analyzed the production costs and minimum sustainable price of the emerging POLO BJ cells with n+-type passivating poly-Si on oxide (POLO) rear contacts, assuming its production under industrial conditions and analyzing from cell production costs down to electricity generation costs. The POLO BJ concept allows higher efficiencies for photovoltaic cells compared to concepts without passivating contacts. In addition, the POLO BJ concept has certain advantages compared to the cell concepts in the market, such as lower silver consumption allowing lower production costs, or leaner process flow.” The scientists explained that, although PERC has largely been replaced by tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology, the POLO BJ concept offers advantages over TOPCon. These include the use of aluminum-based metallization instead of high amounts of silver and a shift toward all-back-contact designs. “The value of next-generation solar cell concepts should not be assessed solely in terms of efficiency, but also in terms of manufacturability and system impact,” said Gómez Trillos. “POLO BJ shows potential as a high-efficiency technology with tangible economic benefits across the value chain.” In the study “ The Cost of Ownership and Minimum Sustainable Price of POLO BJ Cells Produced in Germany ,” published in Advanced Energy & Sustainability Research , the research team explained that POLO BJ cells may be easily produced with existing and slightly adapted PERC production lines, with only one additional laser step being required. The manufacturing process begins with a cleaned p-type silicon wafer, followed by the formation of a thin silicon dioxide (SiO₂) layer on both sides. A heavily doped n⁺ polysilicon layer is then deposited using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and subsequently thermally oxidized. The front-side silicon dioxide layer is selectively removed using either wet chemical processing or laser ablation, while the rear side remains protected during the texturing step. Passivation layers are applied using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and the process is completed with laser contact opening and screen printing to form the electrical contacts of the solar cell. For their modeling, the academics assumed a production capacity of 5 GW and noted that, at this scale, a single plant could supply roughly 30% of Germany’s 2024 photovoltaic demand of 16.2 GW. A baseline POLO BJ cell efficiency of 24.2% was assumed, based on demonstrated industrial performance in M2-format devices, with a maximum scenario of 25% considered for sensitivity analysis. Plant output was evaluated under constant annual cell throughput, meaning higher efficiencies directly increase total peak power capacity. For comparison, PERC technology was modeled under identical conditions, including the same wafer format and plant size, but with a maximum efficiency of 23.1%. Cost analysis was performed using a bottom-up cost of ownership model based on the guidelines of the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) association and Germany's mechanical engineering association VDMA . The model incorporated production tool costs, throughput, materials, and energy use. Minimum sustainable price was calculated to translate production costs into market-relevant pricing, including capex, opex, taxes, working capital, depreciation, and a weighted average cost of capital of 8%. Finally, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) was estimated for utility-scale systems using POLO BJ and PERC modules. The analysis showed that total investment costs differ moderately between the two cell concepts, ranging from $171.0 million for P