CIS thin-film manufacturer, Solar Frontier, is touting a new lightweight PV module for the residential rooftop market, primarily in Japan.
Dubbed ‘Solacis neo’, the 6.5mm-thick module is claimed by Solar Frontier to be the lightest glass substrate thin-film CIS module on the market, weighing only 8kg, a 40% decrease in weight from previous models. Inherently, thin-film substrates are heavier than conventional crystalline-based modules due to the use of the glass/glass format.
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The frameless design is also claimed to increase flex tolerance and will be produced at Solar Frontier’s Miyazaki No.2 Plant in October 2013, with shipments scheduled to start in November 2013 for the Japanese residential market.
In tandem with the new lightweight module, Solar Frontier is launching a new rooftop mounting system called ‘Cross One’ designed for the new module as well as its current ‘SF’ series modules.
The new mounting system is claimed to reduce by 40% the number of mounting points needed to install its modules on roofs.
