The Cost of Ownership and Minimum Sustainable Price of POLO BJ Cells Produced in Germany

Abstract

The p-type back junction (BJ) solar cell featuring n+-type passivating poly-Si on oxide (POLO) rear contacts has the potential ofbeing an alternative for the passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) concept. The cost of ownership (CoO), minimum sustainableprice (MSP), and the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of POLO BJ cells produced in Germany and in a facility with a productioncapacity of 5 GWp*a-1 are analyzed here. After assuming that POLO BJ can attain a cell efficiency of 24.2%, an investment of 256.8million USD and variable and operating annual costs of 317.3 million USD are estimated. The CoO per Wp of cells with efficiencyof 24.2% is estimated at 5.79 ¢*Wp-1, whereas the MSP would be 7.16 ¢*Wp-1, compared to PERC cells, for which an efficiency of23.1% is assumed, resulting in a CoO and MSP of 6.31 and 7.75 ¢*Wp-1. The benefits of the higher efficiency of POLO BJ alsopropagate downstream to LCOE, as cells of this concept with the mentioned efficiency allow a LCOE under Southern Europeanconditions integrated in monofacial glass-backsheet and bifacial glass-glass modules of 3.32 and 3.02 ¢*kWh-1, respectively. Thisis 0.14 ¢*kWh-1 less than that of PERC cells. Other cost-reduction pathways were explored.