JA Solar and Gold Stone Energy said they have achieved a 28.2% conversion efficiency for a hybrid back-contact solar cell, a result certified by TÜV Rheinland and presented by the companies as a new world record for back-contact silicon devices. The cell was developed under their HBC industrialization project.
According to the companies, the new design combines a rear-contact electrode structure with passivation technologies common in today’s high-efficiency crystalline silicon cells. By eliminating front-side metal gridlines, the cell reduces optical shading, while the rear-contact layout improves current collection and supports higher power output.
The development also reflects the industry’s push to adapt existing manufacturing assets for next-generation cell formats. JA Solar and Gold Stone Energy were previously linked to a 4 GW HBC upgrade and retrofit project, with a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing indicating that Golden Solar New Energy Technology would license HBC patent technology to a joint venture involving JA Solar’s Yiwu unit and Gold Stone Energy.
The result adds to a series of recent back-contact efficiency milestones reported by Chinese PV manufacturers. In late April, Trina Solar said its TOPCon-compatible hybrid back-contact cell had reached 28.0% efficiency, certified by the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin in Germany.
