Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has announced the establishment of a TBC Photovoltaic Technology Alliance, bringing together seven domestic solar companies to strengthen Taiwan’s photovoltaic supply chain and accelerate the commercialization of TOPCon solar cell technologies based on back-contact (BC) design.
The initiative aims to establish a domestic supply chain for TOPCon back contact (TBC) solar technology, combining research and development capabilities with expertise in materials, manufacturing equipment and solar cell production, ITRI said in a statement.
The TBC cells developed by the Taiwanese manufacturers have achieved a power conversion efficiency of around 25.5%, according to a report by local media outlet Formosa News. The report did not specify whether the efficiency figure was independently certified or measured under laboratory or production conditions.
ITRI has also developed a laser-assisted silver-coated copper electrode technology designed to reduce the consumption of silver in solar cell manufacturing. The technology could reportedly lower cell production costs by 8% and generate approximately TWD 200 million ($6.3 million) in annual production value.
The alliance brings together companies operating across different stages of Taiwan’s photovoltaic value chain, including solar materials suppliers, cell manufacturers and module producers. Participants identified by ITRI include TeraSolar, Giga Solar, Motech, Sustainable Sunrise, TSEC and United Renewable Energy (URE)
Lin Fu-ming, a representative of ITRI’s green energy laboratories, said the collaboration will combine the institute’s research and development platform with the equipment, materials and technical expertise of participating companies to support the development of next-generation photovoltaic technologies.
The initiative reflects Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its domestic solar manufacturing capabilities and compete in higher-value photovoltaic market segments through improved conversion efficiency and advanced cell manufacturing processes.
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