Maxeon’s Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) photo voltaic panels are discovered to disperse warmth evenly, resulting in decrease working temperatures within the shade and decreased degradation.
Maxeon Solar Technologies performed a aggressive analysis of its Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) photo voltaic panels, in search of affirmation of their sturdiness towards damaging hotspots.
The firm has been creating its IBC photo voltaic panel for 40 years. It examined the Maxeon 7 line of panels towards a sequence of competing applied sciences together with half-cell ribbon-based again contact, half-cell heterojunction (HJT), and half-cell entrance contact tunnel oxide passivated contact ( TOPCon) panels. The panels are examined all through the day after which transferred to partial shading, a situation that forces the cells to start out changing energy from the encompassing cells into warmth.
Maxeon discovered that based mostly on the traits of IBC cells, together with diode performance, uniform heating, and low breakdown voltage, IBC panels such because the Maxeon 7 present extra favorable efficiency below partial shade in comparison with others. module know-how similar to PERC and HJT.
The IBC panels have been discovered to cut back the long-term danger of decay of the panel supplies by higher decreasing the warmth rise of the shaded cells—sustaining a median of 67 °C (153 ° F) cooler than ribbon-based again contact, HJT and TOPCon applied sciences have been examined.
The Maxeon whitepaper explains hotspot dangers:
A photo voltaic panel maximizes its potential to generate power when every cell inside {an electrical} string maintains the identical present. If a cell can not match the present of its neighbors, often because of the presence of shading or cracks within the cell, it begins to devour energy from the encompassing cells and remodel it into warmth – also called working in a state of reverse bias. As the cell temperature will increase, hotspots might type across the obstruction. Hotspots are extremely concentrated areas of warmth power that may attain excessive temperatures—temperatures excessive sufficient to wreck panel supplies by burning the encapsulant and again sheet, in addition to damaging cells and glass.
Maxeon’s analysis and improvement crew additionally examined the sturdiness of the constructing’s heating panels after deactivating the panels’ bypass diode, the first protection mechanism of normal photo voltaic panels towards hotspot. It was discovered that the IBC panels proceed to restrict the warmth improve even after deactivating the bypass diode.
“Solar panel producers should proceed to pursue improved product design – know-how danger shouldn’t be borne by the shopper,” mentioned Matt Dawson, chief know-how officer, Maxeon. “We imagine that lots of in the present day’s producers are sacrificing product reliability in pursuit of upper energy and effectivity. High-performance photo voltaic panels really maximize buyer lifetime worth if they will match that efficiency with low degradation and long-term reliability.”
Look for IBC hotspot resilience whitepaper right here.
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