SolarWorld, the largest U.S. crystalline silicon solar manufacturer for 40 years, will showcase the global debut of its high-power, 72-cell bifacial solar panel this week at the solar-industry trade show Solar Power International.
Photoelectric surfaces on both sides of the new Sunmodule XL bifacial solar panel’s solar cells – protected by a layer of glass on one side and a sturdy but lightweight clear back sheet on the other – will provide as much as 25 percent more power than conventional 72-cell modules, depending on installation conditions. As an example, a SolarWorld 330-watt panel will produce energy equivalent to that of a conventional panel of up to about 410 watts. The new solar panel will feature high-wattage, mono-PERC (passivated emitter rear contact) solar cell technology, an advanced cell technology in which SolarWorld is the global volume leader.
“The size and power generation of this new 72-cell product are particularly well-suited for the solar industry’s commercial and industrial segments,” said Ardes Johnson, U.S. vice president for sales and marketing for SolarWorld. “Quite simply, this product will increase the harvest of electricity and thereby lower the cost of energy.”
The new solar panel will be among products and services that SolarWorld will debut at its Expo Hall Booth 2526 at Solar Power International, the nation’s biggest trade show, in Anaheim, Calif., from today through Sept. 17.
The company previously debuted a 60-cell version, combining the advantages of the company’s Sunmodule Protect glass-glass module with innovative bifacial technology. The 60-cell module comes with a 30-year performance guarantee featuring annual degradation of no more than 0.35 percent.
The new products both produce more electricity by tapping direct sunlight striking the face of the solar panel as well as indirect light refracting on the back from surfaces below. Under ideal conditions, the technology achieves up to 25 percent greater energy yields, considerably reducing the pay-off period of a solar system.
The first 72-cell bifacial modules will be available in the first half of 2016; the first 60-cell bifacial modules will be available in the fourth quarter of 2015.
