Figure 1. A ground view of São Gonçalo solar PV plant in Brazil.
Umberto Magrini, Head of Engineering and Construction at Enel Green Power, discusses the latest innovations driving the current solar revolution and why solar photovoltaics are set to be a long-lasting success story within the renewables industry.
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olar photovoltaics (PV) are leading the energy transition through a significant and fast evolution of the technology’s main components, availability of more operating data, and reliable production modelling tools. The field of solar generation is also rich with innovations that allow the technology to become increasingly widespread.
PV module The continued implementation of silicon-based cell enhancements, such as passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) and half-cell interconnection module technology, has paved
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the way for higher average module efficiencies. The use of larger wafers (182 mm and 210 mm) has resulted in higher module power classes of 500 W and above, as well as a larger size area. Improvements in all fields result in an increase of module area efficiency, with today’s mainstream p-type mono-Si based modules reaching efficiencies of 21%, and increasing to 22.2 ‑ 22.5% within the next five years. The PV industry is currently in the final phase of p-type dominance, characterised by the use of p-type multi and p-type mono substrates. From 2024, however, all signs point to a dramatic shift to n-type substrates, with n-type based modules
