A new milestone for the photovoltaic energy market: the manufacturer Trina Solar announced last Thursday (16), at a conference held by the company at its headquarters in Wuxi, China, the 600W+ Vertex commercial module, the first in the world that breaks the 600 W power barrier.
Several leaders of companies participating in the Photovoltaic Ecological Alliance 600W+ of Open Innovation – representing manufacturers of silicon, waffers, cells, modules, trackers, inverters, materials and equipment – attended the launch event and witnessed the new Vertex series modules.
According to Trina, the modules can reach 605 W in STC (Standard Test Conditions), have an efficiency of 21,2% and a temperature coefficient Voc (Open Circuit Voltage) of -0,35%/°C. Furthermore, they feature cell cutting technology that guarantees greater durability.
Another feature is the fact that they have a low Voc of 41,7 V, which allows projects to work with larger strings, better diluting the costs of cables, connectors, protection devices, among others. It is also worth highlighting the high Isc (Short-Circuit Current) of 18,4 A.
According to Dr. Zhang Yingbin, Head of Product Strategy at Trina Solar, “Vertex modules stand out for a series of applied innovations, including a 210 mm silicon wafer and multi busbar technologies that provide photovoltaic conversion efficiency of more of 21%”.
The new module also weighs 35,3 kg and measures 2172 x 1303 mm. The product has a 30-year performance guarantee and should be available in the first quarter of 2021 in Brazil.
This year, the company hopes to make a module with 550 W of power available. The product was also announced during the event at Trina headquarters.
Launch event for the new 600W+ Vertex module at Trina Solar headquarters in Wuxi, China
Improved degradation rate
Degradation rate is the term used to describe the decline in generation that photovoltaic modules will suffer over time. This rate varies according to the model and manufacturer, but, in general, the modules' output power decreases by around 0,8% each year, with the reduction being greater in the first year: between 1% and 3%.
Regarding Trina's new Vertex module, they have a 2% degradation in the first year and 0,45% year over year.
Lower payback on projects
Given these characteristics, the manufacturer states that the Vertex 600W+ allows solar projects to have a lower BOS (Balance of System) cost and lower LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy), which is a measure of current average net cost of generating electricity for a plant over its useful life. These aspects provide a shorter payback – return on investment –.
Comments
Comments are moderated before publication.Comments should be respectful and contribute to a healthy debate. Offensive comments may be removed. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author. Canal Solar.