As the China government has set minimum energy conversion rates for technologically leading crystalline silicon solar cell makers to obtain financial support, first-tier China-based solar cell makers including Trina Solar, JA Solar Holdings, Yingli Green Energy Holding and CSI plan to adopt PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) processing to hike energy conversion rates, with total annual PERC production capacity of 1.0-1.2GWp to be completed in 2015 and initial PERC production to begin in the third quarter, according to industry sources.
Minimum energy conversion rates have been set at 17% for monocrystalline silicon solar cells, 16.5% for polycrystalline models, and 10% for thin-film PV modules.
In comparison, several Taiwan-based solar cell makers, including Motech Industries, Neo Solar Power, Gintech Energy, TSEC and Solartech Energy, started PERC production in 2014, and Taiwan-based solar cell makers had total annual PERC production capacity of 1GWp at the end of 2014, the sources noted.
