California-based solar PV group Sunpreme has demonstrated the first bifacial double glass module with a measured standard test condition (STC ) output of 503 W.
With a 15% bifacial power boost, the effective panel wattage can be enhanced to 575 W with an effective module efficiency of 22.2%, the company said on Tuesday. Sunpreme added that module also boasted "a record low thermal coefficient of module efficiency of 0.28%/C."
Sunpreme said the module was designed to achieve an unsurpassed balance of system (BOS) cost reduction for distributed power generation applications. The panel and IV flash data are on display at Sunpreme's booth at the Solar Power International (SPI) trade show taking place this week in Las Vegas.
Sunpreme's new 500 W panel uses the same design and materials technology as its current line of Maxima GxB series. The underlying technology platform is Sunpreme's proprietary SmartSilicon Hybrid Cell Technology (HCT) developed five years ago. It is designed to maximize energy production in ground mount as well as tracker configurations. The construction consists of 156.75 mm AFS cells sealed between two panels of tempered glass.
"I am delighted to see the rapid progress Sunpreme has made with its Bifacial Hybrid Cell Technology packaged into double glass frameless panels," said Eicke Weber, director of Germany's Fraunhofer ISE institute and a member of Sunpreme's Global Advisory Board.
"Both the Sunpreme HCT cell and its module are key elements of a high-tech product portfolio, that until recently included half a dozen different mainstream technologies spanning a module efficiency range from 14% to 21%," Weber added. "With its record module efficiency of about 22% with bifacial boost, Sunpreme HCT technology has moved right to the top of the class. And, it is able to do so in a cost effective manner even at a small scale volume. Going forward, Sunpreme clearly has room for an enormous upside in further cost reduction."
Describing the Sunpreme GxB 500W(STC) as "the world's new ‘Heavy Watt champion,'" Sunpreme Chairman and CEO Ashok K. Sinha said, "An effective power of 575 W, post Bifacial boost, equivalent to a 22.2% panel efficiency brings out unsurpassed BOS cost benefits for large distributed power generation projects. … With such a one-of-a-kind product we are setting a new industry bench mark."
Frank Pham, Sunpreme's senior vice president for Global Engineering and Operations, said the company was able to demonstrate an STC flash power of 503 W by building on a tested and proven HCT platform with bifacial double glass modules.
"These panels share the gene pool of the GxB product family, e.g. high Voc for efficient systems integration, the highest fire class A rating, a higher snow load and wind resistance," he added.
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