Manufacturing

Multiple factors affect the productive lifespan of a residential solar panel. In the first part of this series, we look at the solar panels themselves.

The German solar brand shall start commercial production of 540Wp mono PERC modules through its India subsidiary starting next month. The modules are 20.9% efficient. 

The New York-headquartered technology provider will supply over 1.16 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of its lithium-ion battery cells to power India-based Omega Seiki’s lineup of electric vehicles. The cells, assembled into batteries, will be delivered over the next five years.

The three Chinese panel manufacturers found an agreement on the module size and the mounting hole spacing.

The Chinese manufacturer and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have improved the average cell efficiency by 0.68% through a post-cell hydrogenation process. The cell’s average open-circuit voltage increased by 7 mV from 696 to 703 mV, and the average fill factor from 82.03% to 83.07%.

Insolation Energy director Vikas Jain told pv magazine about their plans to expand solar panel manufacturing capacity to 700 MW with the addition of a 500 MW facility. The new facility would be equipped to produce poly, mono, mono PERC, and bifacial panels with individual panel output up to 600 Wp.

Developed by an Italian manufacturer, the panel is available in three versions with a power output of 100, 120, and 240 W and has a weight of 5 kg. It is encapsulated in thermoformable plastic technical polymers and can be connected in series with other modules around the same post.

Modules account for a huge percent of the project’s total cost, and since independent power providers (IPPs) have lower margins in the Indian solar energy sector, even a small increase in module pricing will put them under more strain.

The mounting structure relies on a 5.8m long support rail that does not lie on the roof but is connected directly to a purlin placed below with self-drilling support screws.

Dutch startup Solarge has developed a 500 W panel that weighs 50% less than conventional glass-backsheet modules. The new product can be fixed to rooftops with roofing anchors, which eliminates the need for ballast, according to the manufacturer.