Stealthy US-based start-up, Sunpreme will be showing what it claims to be the world's first Bifacial double glass module with a measured STC output of 503W at Solar Power International (SPI 2014). It is designed to maximize energy production in ground mount as well as tracker configurations and with a 15% Bifacial power boost, the effective panel wattage can be enhanced to 575W with an effective module efficiency of 22.2%, according to the company. Upon full market release, the product warranty will be backed by Munich Re.
Problem
PV project developers look for the lowest LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) on projects. Providing large-panel sizes with high-performance cells with high module power output can reduce the overall BOS (Balance of System) of a project.
Solution
The underlying technology platform is Sunpreme's proprietary ‘SmartSilicon’ Hybrid Cell Technology (HCT) developed 5 years ago, providing an effective module efficiency of 22.2%. A second performance bonus comes from a record low thermal coefficient of module efficiency of 0.28%/C. The product is designed to achieve an unsurpassed BOS cost reduction for distributed power generation applications.
Applications
Commercial and utility-scale PV power plants.
Platform
The module consists of 156.75mm AFS cells sealed between two panels of tempered glass and is frameless at 34kg in weight, which is close to the weight two installers can do in repetitive lifts and requires no grounding.
Availability
The company has not provided details of release dates.
