In one line
Legacy crystalline silicon cell architecture that dominated solar from 2018–2023; now superseded by TOPCon.
What it means
Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) was the workhorse cell architecture for global solar from 2018 through about 2023. Mass-production efficiency peaked around 23.5%. By 2026, new PERC capacity additions have essentially stopped — TOPCon has become the default upgrade path.
Related terms
Browse every term in the renewable energy glossary, or read the latest analysis on Solar PV.