TOPCon Solar Cells Are Busting A Key Anti-Solar Myth

The article addresses and counters a common anti-solar argument that solar energy production is not truly clean due to the carbon emissions involved in manufacturing solar panels. It highlights how the global solar industry is advancing with the adoption of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells, a technology that improves efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity while also reducing the carbon footprint of solar cell manufacturing. This advancement directly challenges claims from groups like Citizens for Responsible Solar (CRS), which argue that solar energy is not free from CO2 emissions, by providing context that lifecycle emissions from solar projects remain significantly lower than those from fossil fuel plants. TOPCon technology, introduced by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute in 2013, has been slower to penetrate the market compared to PERC cells but is now gaining rapid adoption. Research from the University of Warwick demonstrates that TOPCon cells have lower environmental impacts in 15 out of 16 categories compared to PERC technology, including a 6.5% reduction in climate