Sovello SV-X-195
Sovello’s SV-X-195 has a nominal output of 195 watts and is reportedly useful in a large number of market segments, from small and midsize homes (residential) to larger commercial buildings, farm buildings, slanted roofs, flat roofs and ground-mounted arrays. It is the only module in the test with polycrystalline wafers made in the string-ribbon process. Here, silicon wafers are drawn out of the molten silicon between two wires so they have the right thickness and width from the outset. Sovello therefore does not have to saw its wafers as most of its competitors do, which reportedly reduces energy and silicon consumption by around 50 percent. As a result, energy payback – the time that a module needs to generate the amount of electricity used for its manufacture – is faster. Among the benefits the module offers, Sovello lists good performance under partial shading, because of the way the cells are switched. Under shading, yield is reportedly up to 10 percent greater than in modules with conventional switching, which increases the area efficiency for arrays that use stands, because the distance between the rows can be reduced. The firm also says that low-light performance is very good and that the solar glass' antireflective coating increases yield.
