Are N-type solar panels worth it?

23 Sep.,2024

 

N-Type VS. P-Type Solar Panels: Which One Should You ...

Apart from slight changes in their construction, both n-type and p-type solar panels are becoming popular options for homeowners throughout the nation. It&#;s important to understand the differences in their performance, durability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness to help you make a better-informed decision about which one is perfect for your solar energy system.

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When it comes to performance and efficiency, the N-type solar panels do stand out slightly against the p-type solar panels. N-type solar panels have an efficiency level of 25.7% as compared to 23.6% of P-type panels. A known defect of the p-type panel is its light-induced degradation. 

P-type panels are dipped in boron, which will interact with oxygen in the air and decrease a panel&#;s performance by up to 10% over time. With p-type panels initially constructed for space use where there is a lack of oxygen, this wasn&#;t initially a problem. However, when using these panels for residential use here on earth, they can be slightly less effective than n-type panels.

When comparing overall lifespan, n-type solar panels do have a longer lifespan than p-type solar panels due to their construction. However, when it comes to price, p-type dominates n-type setups.

This is simply due to the fact that p-type solar panels have been around for much longer, and there is more production technology out there to produce these p-type panels at a cheaper cost than n-type panels.

The difference between n-type and p-type solar cells

The average solar buyer probably isn&#;t paying attention to whether solar panels are made with p-type or n-type solar cells. There are more important things to worry about, like power output and aesthetics. But in case anyone was wondering what those letters mean and how they may affect solar panel buying in the future, here&#;s a crash course on the science behind solar cells.

First, a conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell is a silicon wafer doped with various chemicals to encourage power production. The main difference between p-type and n-type solar cells is the number of electrons. A p-type cell usually dopes its silicon wafer with boron, which has one less electron than silicon (making the cell positively charged). An n-type cell is doped with phosphorus, which has one more electron than silicon (making the cell negatively charged).

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Although the first solar cell invented by Bell Labs in was n-type, the p-type structure became more dominant due to demand for solar technologies in space. P-type cells proved to be more resistant to space radiation and degradation. Since so much research was thrown into space-related solar technology, it was only natural that p-type cell dominance trickled down to the residential solar market.

But more solar manufacturers are adopting n-type structures because of their additional benefits. For one, since n-type cells use phosphorus instead of boron, they are immune to boron-oxygen defects, which cause decreased efficiency and purity in p-type structures. N-type cells are in turn more efficient and are not affected by light-induced degradation (LID).

The International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) predicts that the market share of p-type mono-c-Si will hold around 30% through , while n-type mono-c-Si will increase to about 28% from barely 5% in . This correlates to the industry demand for more high-efficiency modules, so solar buyers can expect more n-type designs entering the mainstream.

The R&D behind both cell types is strong. While n-type solar cells may be more efficient at a surface-level, outputs on both types can be similar. Some examples to compare:

This June, REC released its N-Peak panel, a 60-cell n-type mono-c-Si module with half-cut cells rated at 330 W. In April, LONGi reached a record with its 60-cell p-type PERC mono-c-Si module with half-cut cells rated at 360 W.

Last May, Trina Solar hit 24.13% efficiency with its n-type mono-c-Si solar cell. This May, JinkoSolar hit a record-breaking 23.95% efficiency with its p-type mono-c-Si solar cell.

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