SolarWorld is following its groupwide conversion to high-power PERC technology with adoption of even higher-efficiency cells featuring five busbars. Taken together, the innovations will extend the company’s leadership in producing high-power conventional crystalline silicon solar panels at significant volumes.
By moving from three to five busbars, the primary electrical contacts that stripe photovoltaic cells, SolarWorld can manufacture cells and modules in which electrons travel shorter distances from grid lines to busbars and thus enable more to reach the busbars. The advance lifts module power by 2 percentage points.
The company’s factory in Hillsboro, Ore., began producing cells featuring five busbars early this spring. Production of these cells for certain products will ramp up this summer. The milestone is a yet another step along the company’s path to manufacture the industry’s first 300-watt, p-type, standard 60-cell modules at production volumes.
“SolarWorld is constantly driving solar technology advances into the future,” said Mukesh Dulani, president of SolarWorld Americas Inc., based in Hillsboro. “Our customers count on us to push the leading edge of high-standard mainstream solar technology. We never stand pat on our record of high quality, reliability and efficiency.
“Customers also depend on SolarWorld to provide the best lifetime system value in the industry.”
Qwin says
I give it 6 -9 months when you will see the exact same tech thing from other manufacturers. Unfortunately for them, just copying the technique won’t necessarily yield them the same results. Just moving to 5 busbars without detail understanding of the impacts could result in a 2% drop in power. Cudos to SolarWorld for continuing to focus on the advancement solar technology through R&D in the face of harsh criticism and financial storm impacting module manufacturing since 2010. This tells me they are committed to quality and PV tech improvements. Cream does rise.
JMichaelOHara says
SunPower figured out how to do without any busbars on the surface of a cell. How is increasing the busbar count better?
South Jersey Solar says
I agree… Solarworld modules are larger than other similar sized modules. They have been in the market a long time and are only really cost effective due to large tariffs that they lobbied for. They don’t even have 72 cell modules which lost them a project of mine. Is their industry first being the first p type module at this rating? what value does this bring to the consumer? I would like to see a white paper on this so I can be confident when specifying this for a customer