Special application PV modules are driven by values beyond €/Wp – €/integratability, €/aesthetics, €/robustness, or Wp/kg
Mondragon Assembly offers customized production tools for multiple special application PV modules like BIPV, flexible but rigid, light & flexible
It also provides a multitool stringer and a personalized laminator for laboratory applications
Although the global market share of different PV end-use systems is largely dominated by rooftop and power plant applications, niche applications such as agrivoltaics (AgriPV), floating PV, building-integrated PV (BIPV), carports, and others require features that go beyond those of mainstream products. Producing these PV modules, which have non-conventional features, requires customized production tools with high yield and throughput.
In this context, Xabier Otaño, Head of Sales – Solar Business Unit at Mondragon Assembly, shared his company’s experience in delivering tailor-made PV production tools for innovative module production at the TaiyangNews Advanced Solar Module Applications 2024 Conference (see Mondragon Assembly presentation here). The company, which provides both standalone and turnkey PV production lines, has multiple production plants in Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and China, and reported sales exceeding €100 million.
Sharing the 15th edition of the ITRPV technology outlook, Otaño mentioned that the worldwide market share of special application PV modules is expected to grow from 5% in 2023 to up to 20% in the next 10 years. Rather than just €/Wp, the key driving forces behind these PV modules – such as BIPV, floating PV, AgriPV, mobility, and others – are Wp/kg, €/integrability, €/aesthetics, or €/robustness, depending on the specific application, explained Otaño.
The development of special application PV modules operates as a closed-loop system. A new application requires a special feature, which in turn creates the need for new technical solutions in the module. For example, to be aesthetically pleasing, a BIPV module requires different spacing between strings and cells, as well as color variations. Conversely, a developed module with varying distances between cells and strings can create different levels of shading suitable for AgriPV applications, elaborated Otaño. However, these special application PV modules, with their unique features, require specific tools that ensure consistent throughput and yield to maintain product quality.
Following the explanation of the development loop for special application PV modules, Otaño shared a few case studies of Mondragon Assembly’s tailor-made PV production tools.
In this project, the company was manufacturing BIPV modules featuring a wide variety of sizes, ranging from 300 x 300 mm to 3 x 6 m, produced in very small batches, with a broad range of string configurations within the module to align with different building architectures. To meet these specific requirements, the toolmaker developed a special tabber and stringer capable of adjusting the cell-to-cell gap from 1 mm to 150 mm and building different string geometries within the module. Additionally, the special layup tool, adapted to both small and large modules with varying glass sizes, allows for strings to be placed at 0°, 45°, or 90°. Otaño further added that the incorporation of advanced software into the line minimized module changeover time and enabled specific EL tests for large-size modules.
The second case study involved manufacturing light and flexible PV modules with tailored encapsulation and backsheets, combined with a glassless design. This design, which omits the junction box (JB), required a specific lamination process, noted Otaño. Due to the glassless and flexible design, the company redesigned the entire production line, implementing a carrier concept to handle the modules. At the end-of-line stations, including edge trimming, hipot testing, and other testing areas, robotic systems were used to transfer modules between stations. Otaño mentioned that the special edge trimming tool utilized a CNC-like trimming system.
The next project involved the production of lightweight and rigid PV modules with a glassless design, using a special rigid honeycomb backsheet, designed for AgriPV applications. As the rigid backsheet serves as the carrier for the module in a sunny side-up position, the company conceptualized the entire line, including the stringer, autobussing, and laminator, to work in the opposite direction of the normal orientation.
Additionally, the company has provided customized production tools for other applications such as space applications, hybrid PV + thermal modules, and vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) modules.
In addition to special application PV module production tools, the company also offers a multitool stringer adaptable to the needs of different upcoming cell technologies, including welding, ECA application, back contact (BC), shingling, flat ribbon, round wire, a wide range of cell sizes, and multi-busbars. Moreover, it offers a personalized laminator with features like membrane or membrane-less technology, multi-step or multi-stack lamination process, and more.
Otaño concluded his presentation by highlighting the potential of niche applications, projected to reach the GW-scale within the next 10 years. He emphasized that the special application production tool market is not only driven by €/Wp but also by other factors.