Sharp unveils 440 W half-cut PV module with 19.9% efficiency

Sharp has launched the NU-JD440 solar panel, a half-cut monocrystalline PERC product with a 19.9% efficiency rate and 440 W of power output.

The module, which features 144 half-cells based on M6 wafers and a nine-busbar design, has a power tolerance of up to 5%, the company said. The IEC/EN61215- and IEC/EN61730-certified panel has overall dimensions of 2108 x 1048 x 40 mm and weighs in at 25.5 kg. The operating temperature coefficient is -0.34% per degree (Celsius).

The panel can be used in PV systems with a maximum voltage of 1,500 V and an operating temperature between -40 C and 85 C. It comes with a 25-year linear power output guarantee and a 15-year product guarantee.

The Japanese manufacturer said that its half-cut modules feature three small junction boxes, instead of one, all with bypass diodes. These enclosures transfer less heat to the upper cells, which helps to extend the lifetimes of panels, while improving overall system performance, it claimed.

Jens Meyer, product development manager at Sharp Energy Solutions Europe, said that the NU-JD440 can help to reduce the levelized cost of electricity in a range of applications.

“Thanks to our regularly updated product portfolio, the support of our team based in Germany, and our service offering in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, our customers constantly benefit from maximum added value,” Meyer said.

In January, Sharp launched its first monocrystalline PERC module series, featuring half-cut cells. It followed that release with three more mono PERC products with a claimed 19.1% efficiency rate in April 2018. And two years ago, Sharp achieved a 25.09% conversion efficiency rate in a cell featuring heterojunction and back-contact technologies, as certified by the Japan Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Laboratories.