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Panasonic Sets World Record For PV Module Conversion Efficiency

Panasonic Corp. has achieved a PV module conversion efficiency of 23.8% at research level - a significant improvement from the previous world record for crystalline-silicon-based PV modules, according to the company.

Panasonic says this breaks the world record for the highest conversion efficiency by a full percentage point, as the prior record was set at 22.8%.

In April 2014, Panasonic announced a world’s highest conversion efficiency of 25.6% in its silicon heterojunction cells. Now, with this latest accomplishment, the company says it holds the world record of conversion efficiency for both crystalline-silicon-based solar cells and modules.

The company explains that this new record was achieved by further developing its proprietary heterojunction technology for high-efficiency solar cells and modules, adopting a back-contact solar cell structure.

Panasonic says it will continue to develop its PV module HIT to realize higher efficiency and higher reliability, lower costs, and work toward mass production.

 

SMA Unveils Second-Generation Inverter Racking Solution

SMA has released the second generation of its ReadyRack all-in-one inverter, rack and disconnect solution for commercial rooftop solar PV. Specifically designed for the company’s Sunny Tripower TL-US three-phase inverter, the new ReadyRack allows for simpler, faster system installation while offering durability and code compliance right out of the box, according to SMA.

“The original ReadyRack revolutionized the North American commercial rooftop market by providing immediate rooftop placement and connection of the inverters, drastically reducing the time to energization,” says Marko Wittich, SMA executive vice president of sales for the Americas region. “For the second-generation ReadyRack, SMA improved upon the original design by reducing both its footprint and per-unit weight, making it an even more versatile solution for today’s crowded commercial rooftops.”

According to the company, the ReadyRack is a fully integrated, pre-assembled and pre-wired roof-mount rack that includes all balance-of-system components for reduced wiring time and labor on-site, saving an average of two hours of assembly time per inverter. This turnkey solution includes a Sunny Tripower TL-US inverter; an SMA Connection Unit (an eight-string combiner with disconnect); an AC disconnect switch; and complete ground bonding of all components.

Also included are pre-installed EPDM foot pads for direct placement on the roof, with no additional piers or blocks needed. The ReadyRack’s main structure is made in the U.S. of corrosion-resistant aluminum and features stainless-steel mounting hardware.

 

AET Launches Solar Ground-Mount Dealer Kit

Applied Energy Technologies (AET), a Michigan-based manufacturer of solar racking systems, has expanded its ECO line of products with its new Rayport-G ECO ground-mount dealer kit.

AET says its network of distributors is fully stocked with the kits - which include pre-engineered drawings for both 60- and 70-cell modules with different array options, as well as materials to provide accurate guidance on the number of posts required based on site-specific wind and snow loads.

According to the company, the dealer kits give installers and engineering, procurement and construction contractors the ease of purchasing right off the shelf for their commercial or residential project needs, saving time and ensuring a quick turnaround.

“Our innovative dealer kits give customers direct access to everything needed for a ground-mount system,” states Aaron Faust, AET’s vice president of business development. “Backed by our expert engineering and high-quality manufacturing, the kits can be easily configured to meet unique project needs.”

 

SunPower Boasts Fast Install Time For Helix Solution

SunPower Corp. has announced its Helix Roof ST product, a fully integrated rooftop solar solution, can be installed at more than 33 panels per installer hour. The company claims that is two-and-a-half times faster than publicly reported maximum install speeds of 12 to 13 panels per installer hour for competing commercial rooftop systems currently available.

DNV GL, a global independent energy expert and certification body, verified the installation speed during a Mounting System Installation Efficiency Test in December 2015 on a 21.6 kW rooftop system consisting of 66 SunPower solar panels. The three-person team of solar installers had no previous experience installing a Helix system.

According to SunPower, one key feature of the SunPower Helix platform that reduces installation time is a plug-and-play power station that eliminates the need to strip and land wires on-site. The company also claims the Helix Roof system requires 67% fewer field connections compared with conventional commercial rooftop systems.

“With standardized Helix components, we have eliminated the inefficiencies and added costs of complex system design,” says Howard Wenger, president of SunPower. “Helix makes the complex simple, allowing our commercial and public agency customers to easily and intelligently manage their energy use and costs and maximize solar power production over the long term.”

 

First Solar Reaches New CdTe Thin-Film Efficiency Record

Arizona-based First Solar Inc. says it has established a new world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic research cell conversion efficiency, achieving 22.1% efficiency certified at Newport Corp.’s Technology and Applications Center (TAC) PV Lab.

According to First Solar, this is its ninth CdTe record efficiency since 2011, and this latest achievement validates CdTe’s growing competitive advantage over multi-crystalline silicon technology and other commercial thin-film PV.

The record-setting research cell was constructed at the company’s Perrysburg, Ohio, manufacturing factory and research and development center using processes and materials suitable for commercial-scale manufacturing. In addition to the Newport TAC Lab certification, the record has been documented in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory “Best Research Cell Efficiencies” reference chart.

“We are tracking very closely to a technology road map we first presented in 2013 and revised upward in March 2014,” explains Raffi Garabedian, First Solar’s chief technology officer. “At that time, we said we’d hit a 22 percent research cell efficiency milestone by the end of 2015. We’ve delivered on that promise.”

Garabedian notes that First Solar’s lead manufacturing lines were producing PV modules with 16.4% conversion efficiency in the fourth quarter of 2015, and the research cell efficiency accomplishment serves as a driver for integrating performance improvement into the real-world manufacturing environment.

 

SnapNrack Announces MLPE Rail Attachment Kit

SnapNrack, a manufacturer of solar panel mounting solutions, has launched a module-level power electronics (MLPE) rail attachment kit that has been designed, tested and certified under the UL 2703 listing to work with Enphase micro-inverters and SolarEdge optimizers.

SnapNrack says its kit removes the need for ground lugs and bare copper, and it is an efficient solution for attaching Enphase micro-inverters and SolarEdge optimizers directly to SnapNrack rails. The kit comes pre-assembled and installs with a single 1/2” socket, utilizing standard channel nuts for snap-in attachment to the rail.

 

teamtechnik Unveils New High-Speed Solar Cell Stringer

Germany-based teamtechnik has introduced its Stringer TT2100, a single-track stringer system that the company says solders solar cells in a 1.7-second cycle, or at 2,100 cycles per hour.

teamtechnik claims each of its new high-speed systems offers an annual output of 65 MW; therefore, a full teamtechnik layup system, with two TT2100s and a six-axis robot, achieves a total output of 130 MW per year.

The new Stringer TT2100 can process solar cells with up to six busbars, and systems that are initially equipped to process fewer busbars can easily be upgraded to handle six later on. This applies both to full cells and half cells.

According to the company, the new stringer is compact and needs less production space than its predecessor system. At the same time, teamtechnik says it has reduced the electricity and compressed air consumption by another 10%.

“The pressure on costs in the solar industry is still enormous, so we are constantly striving to improve the performance of our stringer systems. With system availability of up to 98 percent and exceptionally high output, we help our customer[s] to cut their production costs continually,” says Axel Riethmüller, executive vice president of teamtechnik.

 

Heliatek Claims Record Efficiency For Organic Cells

Germany-based manufacturer Heliatek claims it has set a new world record for the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity using organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. The company says its researchers reached 13.2% efficiency using multi-junction OPV cells, and the measurement was independently confirmed by Fraunhofer CSP.

According to Heliatek, its multi-junction cell combines three different patented absorbers. Each of them is dedicated to convert green-, red- or near-infrared light of the wavelength range between 450 nm and 950 nm into electricity.

The new efficiency was measured at simulated AM 1.5 illumination, and the company says this new record supports its road map toward 15%-efficient organic solar cells.

“This success is based on our chemical research for new organic absorber materials,” comments Martin Pfeiffer, chief technology officer of Heliatek. “Key to this success is the close cooperation of our physics and chemistry R&D teams, which leads to an optimal combination of the properties of this new solar cell design.”

 

Ingeteam Expands Family Of Inverters

Ingeteam has expanded its INGECON SUN 3Play series of solar PV three-phase string inverters, with its latest models now offering output power of up to 40 kW in a single inverter. The previous models had output power ranging from 10 kW to 20 kW.

In addition to the new 40 kW model, the company has unveiled 24 kW, 28 kW and 33 kW models. The company adds that its UL-1741-compliant version of these models, specifically designed for the North American market, has also been extended to offer output power of up to 40 kW.

According to Ingeteam, its INGECON SUN 3Play series of inverters offers dual maximum power point tracking and maximum efficiency levels of 98.5%.