{"id":86883,"date":"2025-10-29T09:51:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T08:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vpsolar.com\/?p=86883"},"modified":"2025-11-03T11:24:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T10:24:31","slug":"pv-modules-cells-and-technologies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vpsolar.com\/en\/pv-modules-cells-and-technologies\/","title":{"rendered":"PV Modules: cells and technologies"},"content":{"rendered":"

When evaluating photovoltaic modules, it\u2019s essential to understand the technical features that differentiate them.<\/p>\n

Datasheets provide plenty of information, but what are the real key differences? And which technologies deliver the highest performance?<\/p>\n

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Cell Doping: N-type vs P-type<\/h2>\n

Solar cells are made of silicon atoms, each containing four valence electrons that form stable bonds with neighboring atoms. To enable electrical conduction, instability must be introduced by adding atoms with one more or one fewer valence electron:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

P-Type Cells<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some silicon atoms are replaced with atoms that have one fewer valence electron. Since electrons carry a negative charge, these cells are referred to as positively doped<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”85827″ img_size=”150×150″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

N-Type Cells<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some silicon atoms are replaced with atoms that have one extra valence electron. Since electrons are negatively charged, these cells are considered negatively doped<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”85825″ img_size=”150×150″ alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]N-type cells show significantly stronger potential for efficiency improvements compared to P-type cells. For this reason, many manufacturers are shifting toward N-type designs.<\/p>\n

Cell Technologies<\/h2>\n

Another key differentiator is the cell manufacturing technology. The three main families are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Heterojunction (HJT)<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • All Back Contact (ABC)<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • TOPCon<\/strong>, an evolution of traditional PERC cells<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Each cell type has unique characteristics, but in general:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • HJT and ABC technologies exhibit lower degradation over time and higher conversion efficiencies<\/li>\n
    • ABC cells also deliver superior performance under partial shading<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Cell Assembly Methods<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      The most common assembly methods are:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Half-cell<\/strong>: the cell is cut in half<\/li>\n
      • Shingled<\/strong>: the cell is cut into five strips and overlapped like roof shingles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        There is no clear data showing a significant performance gap between the two. Today, these should be viewed simply as two alternative assembly approaches.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”85833″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

        Dual-Glass vs Bifacial Technology<\/h2>\n

        The terms dual glass<\/strong> and bifacial<\/strong> are often confused, but they are not the same.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

        Bifacial<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        The module can generate energy from both sides<\/strong>.
        \nThis can be achieved through:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Dual-glass with transparent rear glass<\/li>\n
        • Front glass with transparent backsheet (e.g., transparent Tedlar)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          A bifacial module is not necessarily dual-glass, and vice versa.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

          Dual Glass<\/strong><\/h3>\n
            \n
          • Cells are encapsulated between two sheets of glass (usually 1.6\u20132.0 mm).<\/li>\n
          • Benefits: higher resistance to microcracks, lower degradation.<\/li>\n
          • Trade-off: slightly lower impact resistance in drop-ball tests (-8\/10%).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

            Hail Resistance<\/h2>\n

            All photovoltaic modules certified under IEC 61215<\/strong> are tested to withstand hailstones of 25 mm at 83 km\/h<\/strong>.
            \nSome models carry additional certifications for larger hail sizes (30\/40 mm).[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            When evaluating photovoltaic modules, it\u2019s essential to understand the technical features that differentiate them. Datasheets provide plenty of information, but what are the real key differences? And which technologies deliver<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2032,"featured_media":86887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[141],"tags":[9620,3570,4391,9770,10187,8238,3390],"class_list":["post-86883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","tag-hail-resistance","tag-heterojunction-technology-en","tag-n-type","tag-ntype-abc","tag-p-type","tag-photovoltaic-cells","tag-photovoltaic-modules-en"],"yoast_head":"\nPV Modules: cells and technologies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the key differences between PV cell technologies: N-type, P-type, HJT, TOPCon, ABC, plus bifacial vs dual-glass modules\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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