The technical case analyzed is a utility-scale solar project with 467.3MWp/362.5MW AC installed capacity using a 595-hectare area located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. This facility exemplifies the technical challenges associated with high-capacity photovoltaic projects in Brazil. Minas Gerais has emerged as one of Brazil's primary hotspots for photovoltaic development due to its exceptional solar irradiance levels, often exceeding 2,000 kWh/m² per year, which significantly boosts energy production potential. However, this region also presents unique operational challenges such as high temperature fluctuations throughout the year (minimum 11.1°C, maximum 40.8°C), imposing thermal stress on photovoltaic modules and potentially leading to efficiency losses and accelerated module degradation.
Layouts were developed considering four different PV modules currently available on the Brazilian market:
LONGi Hi-MO 9 back-contact, 660W
TOPCon, 630W
TOPCon, 710W
Superior Energy Yield: Hi-MO 9 outperforms others by ~2.3% in 1st Year and ~3.5% over the plant lifetime.
The analysis shows that in the first-year energy yield comparison, Hi-MO 9 BC modules achieved 2,193 full-load equivalent hours, surpassing standard-sized Topcon, and oversized TOPCon modules by 2.30% and 2.34% respectively; with its lower degradation rate, Hi-MO9 energy yield advantage of 25 years is even higher, with 3.45% and 3.59% more than others, demonstrating comprehensive generation superiority.
Technological advancements of Hi-MO 9
Hi-MO 9 applies LONGi’s proprietary HPBC 2.0 technology which features a front-side busbar-free design, significantly boosting module power and conversion efficiency. This study shows that LONGi Hi-MO 9 outperform all other currently available PV module technologies especially because of these advancements:
• Superior module efficiency provided by the elimination of micro-shadings when moving the contacts to the back of the cell.
• Higher pitch / lower GCR resulting from the higher module efficiency, reducing near shading losses and improving tracking conditions.
• Lower ohmic losses in DC cabling, consequence of the lower operating current of the Hi-MO 9 modules.
• Lower LID when compared to all other technologies.
• Lower operating temperature, which is especially impactful in harsh environmental conditions.
• Better performance under partial shading, uneven irradiance and soiling conditions, as experimentally proven by LONGi.
• Lower degradation over time, resulting from higher quality materials and advanced manufacturing processes.
Continuous investment in module technology innovation is indispensable for the advancement of photovoltaic energy markets and also to meet international sustainability goals, mitigating the long-term impacts of climate change. The new LONGi Hi-MO 9 line is the latest breakthrough in PV module technology, further pushing the boundaries of global energy transition by making renewable energy more affordable, reliable, and widely accessible
