JinkoSolar and SERIS collaborate on bifacial solar cells

The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and the JinkoSolar R&D Center have announced their collaboration on an innovative R&D project to take place over the next three years. The two groups will work together to develop industry-feasible, high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells that can generate power from both the front and rear surfaces — so-called ‘bifacial’ solar cells.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to work with JinkoSolar to transfer our expertise in bifacial front-and-back contact (BiFAB) technology and related process development,” said Dr Shubham Duttagupta, head of the Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cell Group at SERIS.

By integrating bifacial designs into advanced cell structures, JinkoSolar and SERIS aim to achieve high power conversion efficiency on both the front and rear surfaces of mass-produced solar cells. This technological breakthrough is expected to produce at least 20% more energy in outdoor applications than conventional silicon solar cells.

“Bifacial solar cells offer excellent opportunities for further drastic reductions of the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from solar photovoltaic systems,” said SERIS CEO Professor Armin Aberle. “This R&D collaboration with JinkoSolar will accelerate the market entry of bifacial PV modules.”

“We are looking forward to collaborating with SERIS to adapt an innovative cell process technology developed in its world-class research facilities in Singapore,” added Dr Hao Kin, JinkoSolar’s vice president of technology. “The technology will be implemented into mass production through different phases, starting from 2018.”

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