TaiyangNews Advanced Solar Module Applications 2024 Conference

Solar PV technology, hitherto limited to ground-mounted and rooftop solar segments, is now evolving to suit itself for various other innovative applications, thus expanding its reach. Vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV), building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), agrivoltaic, floating PV, and balcony PV are some such applications.     

To suit such installations, manufacturers are also tweaking their products with optimized bill of materials (BOM) and technology to make these suitable for non-traditional applications. At the same time, they make sure that they retain the primary performance attributes of PV products – efficiency, power and reliability, as was shown by leading companies in this space at the TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on Advanced Solar Module Applications 2024 — Discussing Innovation in Solar Module Design for Diverse Applications.   

JA Solar’s Senior Technical Sales Engineer Francesco Liuzza shared the company’s efforts to introduce products for innovative PV applications using n-type TOPCon technology. Its flagship product, the DeepBlue 4.0 Pro, has a module efficiency reaching up to 26.5% and incorporates new technologies like the zero busbar (0BB), and low-stress wafers.   

He stressed on optimizing BOM to provide more reliable product solutions.  

The manufacturer is customizing its modules to suit various environmental conditions such as desert, ocean, high altitude, and extreme cold, among others. It especially provides tailored solutions for offshore PV, anti-dust modules, and anti-glare modules.   

For traditional rooftop PV applications, JA uses patented anti-dust technology with features such as drain holes for water that eliminates the accumulation of dust at the bottom frame, and high load strength. It is also convenient to manufacture, he added, and it saves time on installation.  

Anti-glare is another technology that Liuzza discussed wherein the manufacturer increases the surface roughness to disperse the reflected light and reduce the brightness of the reflected light spot. It worked well in independent 3rd party tests, he added. The product is particularly suitable for PV installations near airports and highways. JA also provides test reports on reflectance and luminance for customers as it expects to see the anti-glare feature become a standard, especially in the European market.   

For offshore applications, Liuzza specifically talked about Skyblue DeepBlue 4.0 modules for pile mounted and OceanBlue for floating PV projects. Pile-mounted solutions comprise solar modules mounted on long pole-like structures to hold the modules high above the water surface. He shared that these modules have features like double-layer coated glass, moisture-resistant encapsulants, and polyurethane frames for durability. Its OceanBlue modules have passed the TUV Nord Module Sequence Test. 

In the future, JA Solar plans to continue innovating with new materials, module designs, and efficiency-boosting technologies, maintaining its leadership in the PV industry, said Liuzza. 

LONGi’s BIPV CTO Song Zhang shared the company’s building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) technology that he said offers additional protection and improved thermal performance for a building, compared to building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV). Being integrated into the building’s structure, BIPV also contributes to the aesthetics. 

Zhang listed the challenges with the current trends that obstruct BIPV’s growth as the lack of standards for its safe integration, appearance, and functionality.  

LONGi’s flagship products for BIPV applications are the LONGi Bright modules, which are offered in various colors, and LONGi Roof for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop BIPV customers.  

Zhang shared that the LONGi Bright solutions can accommodate various architectural application scenarios such as roof, rain-screen, sun shading, guardrail, and façade. A ‘well-rounded’ BIPV product, the LONGi Bright uses the company’s patented adhesive film to make it resistant to high temperature and impact. He emphasized that these modules have passed various safety tests and have reached class A fire protection level. 

In terms of color, this series matches the mainstream architectural tones with 5 options that were selected after analyzing the regular construction materials. The use of inorganic coloring technology provides stability and reliability, and the color is used on the back of the tempered glass, so it is not exposed to the outside environment.  

According to Zhang, the LONGi Bright module series is available in 3 standard sizes. Customers can choose not only the color but also the thickness of the glass.  

While the power warranty of 25 years is the same as its other products, LONGi Bright offers a 5-year product warranty that can be extended to 15 years for an additional fee. The manufacturer also provides a 10-year color warranty. The company’s own headquarters uses these modules on its façade.  

Zhang called LONGi Roof the world’s ‘1st’ BIPV roofing system equipped with back contact (BC) cells. It can generate up to 620 W power output and reach an efficiency of 23.13%. He also claimed 9% higher power generation per sq. m. for this offering. These are installed using a non-divisible metal roof system with crests in the middle of the steel plate to ensure heat dissipation and leave space for junction boxes and cables. It is also resistant to Level 17 typhoons. 

DAH Solar’s Country Manager for France, Franck Tafani, presented the solar innovations from the company that operates 10 GW solar module, 6 GW solar cell, and 5 GW silicon wafer capacity. The company’s key products are an all-in-one balcony solar system called SolarUnit and a full-screen module that is also part of the SolarUnit. 

It rolls out 300,000 sets of SolarUnits annually as Tafani called it the world’s ‘1st’ integrated PV system with a system conversion efficiency reaching 97.55%.  

These combine full-screen modules with a sleek, light microinverter as a plug-and-play installation. Tafani said this feature makes SolarUnits easy to install, reducing time by up to 50%. The same feature also makes it a flexible tool for various layouts and settings like balconies and rooftops since each panel can be deployed at any angle. The SolarUnits can be expanded by adding more units.  

The 800 W SolarUnit from DAH is now popular in European markets, according to Tafani, as the market here enjoys favorable government policies. 

The full-screen modules included in the SolarUnits are designed to reduce the need for frequent cleaning, explained Zhang. The company designs these modules with no frame on the front compared to a 5mm frame for regular panels. 

The design ensures that the maintenance costs are reduced by over 50%. These are especially effective in dusty and coastal environments to curb dust and water accumulation. Even in terms of snow, Zhang stressed that the frameless design speeds up the sliding-off of the snow, whereas traditional frames tend to block the sliding-off, thus impacting system performance.     

The full-screen modules from DAH incorporate n-TOPCon, rectangular cells, double glass, and 0BB technology. It also provides color options for these offerings.  

GoodWe Europe GmbH’s Senior Technical Solution Manager Europe-BIPV, Barbara Terreni presented the company’s lightweight solar panels for bitumen and low-load-bearing roofs at the conference.   

Having started off as a solar inverter and storage producer, GoodWe is now also producing solar panels. At the conference, she spoke about the company’s Galaxy series that is designed for low-weight-bearing roofing. The 2 models in this series, Galaxy Ultra and Galaxy Plus, use 1.6 mm tempered glass while offering a maximum power output of 315 W and 335 W, respectively.  

GoodWe uses a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing membrane for Galaxy Ultra, explained Terreni, whereas Galaxy Plus is lighter and more suited for clamped installations without the membrane. 

Its core technologies make these hail-resistant, hotspot-resistant and render these with a high load capacity. 

Terreni also presented GoodWe’s Bitumen Roof, a gluing solution that ensures panels stick to the roof surface. It offers various installation methods including adhesive gluing, clamping, and ventilation strips to improve efficiency and reduce overheating risks.   

International manufacturer of turnkey solar module production equipment Mondragon Assembly’s Head of Sales for the Solar Business Unit, Xabier Otaño, talked about innovative tool solutions for solar PV modules beyond mainstream applications.  

The company operates 6 production plants located in Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil and China, and has been in the solar PV business for over 25 years now.   

Otaño cited ITRPV to say that the emerging or niche solar applications today like agrivoltaics, floating PV, BIPV, and VIPV are expected to grow from a 5% market share in 2023 to 20% over the next 10 years, reaching the GW-scale.  

Most of these are currently growing in Europe, and are driven by factors beyond the cost-efficiency. The focus is more on integrability, robustness, and aesthetics, he explained.  

Mondragon’s solar business reflects the growing interest among developers in these segments. He shared that his company has developed equipment for a variety of module sizes and custom string configurations for the BIPV segment. It also redesigned production lines using carrier systems and robots for glassless, flexible modules.  

For agrivoltaics, its team created upside-down laminators and specialized tools with unique backsheet designs. Mondragon also honors requests for equipment to suit small-sized solar cells, hybrid PV-thermal modules, and curved module designs for space, and VIPV applications.  

Otaño added that Mondragon has also developed flexible equipment such as multi-tool stringers and lab laminators to support R&D on new solar technologies including perovskite, tandem, back contact, and shingling. He stressed that the company’s equipment is designed keeping in mind the fast-evolving technological space of the solar PV market.      

The presentation by Cando Solar’s CEO and Founder Dr. Qiang Huang centered around lightweight modules for various applications that he believes can deliver on reliability parameters as well as efficiency.  

Huang believes that lightweight modules have the potential to become highly suitable for C&I applications once the industry resolves reliability and efficiency issues. Right now, these modules represent only about 1 GW of annual global production capacity.  

Their adoption is limited at present as lightweight panels are often frameless and glass-fiber-based, leaving them vulnerable to mechanical stress leading to microcracks, and edge invasion. Additionally, environmental conditions such as bird droppings can lead to chemical corrosion and potential heat spots. Frameless lightweight panels are also more susceptible to stress points and breakage.  

On the technology front, he proposed using double-tempered glass with a fiberglass-reinforced backsheet as a solution to improve mechanical strength and strengthen moisture resistance. A frameless design is another feature that can maintain mechanical protection, also rendering self-cleaning properties.  

These are the features Cando uses in its Firm-Light lightweight solar panels that incorporate n-type cells with heterojunction (HJT) technology that, Huang claims, allows for an efficiency boost compared to other panels available in this market segment. These panels weigh 6 kg/m² with a module efficiency range of 22.3% to 23.1%. These can also withstand category 15 typhoons, he claimed.   

Huang believes the solar PV market is now transitioning from a pure focus on LCOE to the value of electricity production, especially with the emergence of various applications. Lightweight modules have a huge scope here as the industry resolves reliability and efficiency issues.  

Speaking about the BIPV application, Gain Solar’s International Sales Director Millie Tan pointed to its flexibility since it can mimic building materials with room for customization in terms of shapes, color, and designs. These also allow for the use of a larger surface area on the rooftop or façade and make them look visually appealing. 

She shared a number of real-world installations in China that Gain Solar has supplied its BIPV modules that use double-glass with laminated solar cells. Tan said these modules are designed to last as long as traditional building materials with their lifespan exceeding 50 years.  

Beyond rooftops and façades, she listed other applications for these customizable panels as solar trees, public benches, flowing, and railings, among others. These are also suitable for public facilities and agrivoltaic installations.  

Even though BIPV materials are currently more expensive than conventional options for solar energy generation, Tan said they eliminate the need for separate building structures and materials, thus making the project cost-effective with these savings in the long run.  

However, Tan believes that strong regulatory support and standards are much needed in this space to ensure the growth of this segment.  

Panel discussion  

Moderated by the TaiyangNews Head of Technology, Shravan Chunduri, the panel discussion focused on adapting to the needs of widening applications for solar modules.  

Board Member of SOLYCO Solar AG, Lars Podlowski, stressed that the solar PV industry should align itself with the building industry so that the technology can work with building standards. He contended that if solar wants to get into the building industry, it needs to know how that industry works to be able to make a valuable addition. The market has space for more distributed PV applications, but it is important to do it in accordance with guidelines and standards in the interests of sustainable growth. He presented Germany’s example where specially designed modules meet building standards. 

Cando Solar’s Dr. Qiang Huang also believes that BIPV is a market domain that’s set to grow significantly in the near future, especially with colored modules. Just like 0BB has become a standard even though it was being researched for long, colored modules too are set to become the standard in the near future, he argued.   

Balcony PV is one such innovative application that’s growing majorly in Europe also because of its ease of installation. There is scope for more such plug-and-play options in the market.  

He agreed with Podlowski that the PV industry needs to work alongside the building industry and architects to provide a suitable product. In his experience, BIPV modules have worked well for the C&I segment since the users here are not fixated on the appearance but on its usability.  

JA Solar’s Francesco Liuzza sees significant growth potential in the floating and agrivoltaic segment. At the same time, he pointed out that solar PV technology is now mature enough to be tweaked for different standardizations that are to be expected across the globe.  

He also believes that even as flexible modules have a huge scope to grow, these will not become a game-changer for the C&I segment. In the absence of any standardization, it is expensive to produce these modules.  

TaiyangNews will be back with the Reliable PV Module Conference 2024 on October 21 and 22, 2024 where the participants will discuss designing long-lasting high-quality solar panels in a period of extreme cost pressure. Register for the event free here.