At the recently concluded Intersolar 2024 event, LONGi Solar officially introduced its latest addition to the Hi-MO X6 Max BC series modules with anti-dust properties – "Guardian Anti-Dust". This new model can cater to residential and commercial & industrial (C&I) installations under heavy dust-prone areas with its anti-dust short-end frame design, which allows dust to skid off the module surface, impelled by the gravitational force of dust load and rainfall.
The newly launched module's key features can be characterized by multiple metrics – design, performance, and reliability.
Design
Based on LONGi's latest rectangular M11 size (182.2 x 191.6 mm) TaiRay wafer-based Hybrid Passivated Back Contact (HPBC) cell technology, the module series offers 2 different dimensions – the 54-cells in a 1,800 x 1,134 x 30 mm size, and a 72-cell configured in a 2,382 × 1,134 × 30mm dimension. These 2 models weigh 21.6 kg and 28.5 kg, respectively. The company emphasized that its patented anti-dust short-end frame's natural dust-cleaning properties optimize the end customer's periodic cleaning cycle and reduce operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. The lightweight module's long-side frames with standard parameters, offer ease of installation in terms of standard and flexible clamp-based mounting on bolt holes, explain LONGi.
Performance
These 2 new Anti-Dust models, utilizing HPBC cell technology, boast a high efficiency of up to 23.3%, thanks to the key features of TaiRay wafers, and back-contact HPBC cell technology, says the company. LONGi's RCZ process-based TaiRay wafer, sliced out from a longer silicon ingot with uniform resistivity from head to tail, offers more concentrated cell efficiency distribution, yielding more high-efficiency cells. Alongside the TaiRay wafer, the high cell efficiency can be attributed to its back-contact technology-based HPBC cell's key characteristics. Some of the key characteristics are reduced recombination of electron-hole pair at passivated back contact, enhanced light absorption by moving the front contact to the back, and better performance in diffuse light conditions.
Its unique anti-dust-short-end-frame design not only boosts power generation through its natural dust-cleaning feature but also prevents obstruction of incident light, ensuring optimized power generation. The 54-cell-based anti-dust model boasts a power output of up to 475 W and the 72-cell-based up to 630 W, as mentioned by LONGi.
Reliability
The anti-dust module's design, wafer quality, and cell interconnection ensure one of the critical metrics of the end customer – the module's long-term durability and field performance or reliability. Its unique self-clean anti-dust property reduces hotspot generation – one of the potential failure modes of modules. Regarding the mitigation of micro-crack generation in cells, the TaiRay wafer's high mechanical bending strength enhances resistance to cell breakage or microcracks. Also, the straight cell interconnection or soldering on the back side of the cell mitigates the risk of microcrack generation at the edge of the cells. Its long-term durability and reliability have been substantiated by its 1,000 + reliability tests and over 500 days of field data verification, shares LONGi.
LONGi's Senior Sales Manager UK & Ireland, Sean McSorley said, "The Hi-MO X6 Max Guardian Anti-Dust is a result of extensive research and testing to ensure that the module remains clean and free of debris, thereby maximizing its performance and longevity, in particular in regions with heavy sand and dust loads. At the same time, it offers premium performance parameters which can be ascribed to both, LONGi's BC technology HPBC as well as the new TaiRay Inside technology." He further added, "Many of our customers and installers feedbacked that dirt accumulation would be a great concern for solar panel owners leading to power loss and reduced performance. With the Hi-MO X6 Max Guardian Anti-Dust module, we have addressed this issue head on by redesigning the frame to minimize the risk of hot spots and dirt accumulation."