Leading Chinese cell manufacturer Aiko is commercializing its ABC module series with very high efficiency of up to 23.6%. ABC stands for All Back Contact and is an 'all back junction' architecture. The new module is primarily promoted for distributed solar applications including residential and C&I segments. At 23.6% efficiency, this latest Aiko PV module would be at the top among the commercially available products listed in our latest module listing, surpassing LONGI and Maxeon (see Top Solar Module Listing – February).
Aiko has not specified the cell architecture platform, however, says it is based on back contact design and uses "silver-free metal coating" for metallization. The cells are based on 182 wafer format. At module level, the cells are spit into half and 144 of such slices are interconnected to reach a rated power of 610 W. This production is mainly promoted for C&I applications, while the company is also promoting a smaller version with 460 W power and same efficiency for residential applications.
Aiko is also developing a ultra-light version of the series that weight less than 4 kg/m2 and is frameless for roofs that require low loads such as metal roofs and old buildings.
The current ABC series modules were launched in China in Q3/2022, and is being released this quarter in Europe. The first module are already installed in these regions in MW scale. The company also provided project names of the installation to TaiyangNews, but requested anonymity.
Aiko is also launching the record efficient module in Japan at the same time as in Europe – and will display the product at its booth at PV Expo in Tokyo, Japan from March 15-17.