Solar PV · Glossary
n-Type TOPCon
The dominant 2026 solar cell technology, using n-type silicon with a tunnel oxide passivated contact for higher efficiency and lower degradation than older PERC cells.
n-Type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) cells have replaced p-type PERC as the volume technology in 2026. Module efficiency is typically 22-23%, panel power 440-470W in standard 108-cell residential format, and the n-type silicon base resists light-induced degradation better than p-type, with first-year degradation under 1% and annual degradation under 0.4%.
Major manufacturers shipping TOPCon in 2026 include JinkoSolar Tiger Neo, JA Solar DeepBlue 4.0, LONGi Hi-MO 7, Trina Solar Vertex S+ and Aiko Comet 2 (which uses an N-type ABC variant with even higher efficiency).
For Cornwall installs, our default panel in May 2026 is the JinkoSolar Tiger Neo 450W or Aiko Comet 460W — both are TOPCon-class, have 25-year product warranties and 30-year power warranties, and look smart in all-black format on slate or natural-tile roofs. See our solar installation page.