As part of the TaiyangNews SNEC Solar Leadership Conversations 2025 at the world’s largest solar trade show, SNEC 2025, TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela spoke exclusively with Dr. Ouyang ZI, the CTO and also the President of the Product and Solution R&D Center at one of the leading solar PV technology companies, JA Solar.
JA Solar, ranked highest among TOPCon module suppliers on the TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing, recently announced a 25.5% n-type TOPCon module efficiency for a 700 W panel – certified by TÜV.
Dr. Ouyang stressed that the company is able to ensure innovation and quality, thanks to its strategy to be a vertically integrated solar PV manufacturer. At the cell level, its improvements have focused on polyfinger design, edge passivation, and front metallization optimization to enhance performance.
At the module level, the manufacturer has been able to improve efficiency by narrowing the gap, moving from half-cut to multi-cut cells, and also adopting the zero busbar (0BB) design.
On managing costs, Dr. Ouyang explained that the company’s strategy on this front is to focus on quality while strategically adopting technologies with an eye on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). For instance, low-cost but high-impact modifications like edge passivation are implemented immediately.
Dr. Ouyang highlighted JA Solar’s “All-scenario application” approach, which tailors TOPCon solar modules for 10 distinct scenarios, including extreme environments and applications, by leveraging specialized materials and advanced technologies to address diverse market needs.
JA Solar prefers to keep the polyfinger on the rear side of the cell after its front-side implementation was found commercially unviable.
A TOPCon proponent, JA Solar is also exploring back contact technology under pilot production using a ‘very novel’ metallization technology at the back. Dr. Ouyang shared that it is very close to releasing it into the market. It also has a heterojunction (HJT) pilot production line.
The reason the Chinese manufacturer has not yet released these products into the market is that TOPCon is at its best right now. He added that the company will have product offerings ready when the market is ready for a new technology.
The complete interview with Dr. Ouyang ZI is available on the TaiyangNews YouTube Channel.
TaiyangNews is hosting its annual PV System Technology Trends virtual conference to explore the latest solar product innovations introduced at the world’s leading solar trade shows, SNEC and Intersolar. Registrations for the 2-day event, on June 24 and 26, 2025, are free and can be done here.
