To discuss the exciting developments in back contact cell technology, TaiyangNews invited Aiko to its Special Focus Webinar on Stunning Solar Aesthetics & Highest Efficiency Back Contact PV Module Technology for Rooftop Applications on November 21, 2023. European solar modules and storage products distributor Memodo also joined to talk about how the market views these modules.
Long considered a high efficiency – but also high cost – technology, back contact is currently making its mark on the global solar PV technology stage. It hit the right notes when China's Aiko announced an industry-leading 24% commercial module efficiency for its all back contact (ABC) solar modules. Leading the Top Solar Modules Listing of TaiyangNews since May 2023 with 24% efficiency, Aiko touts the aesthetic value these panels bring to installations, especially for the rooftop segment.
The webinar began with TaiyangNews Head of Technology Shravan Chunduri sharing the latest efficiencies for commercial solar modules in our Top Solar Modules Listing. Since the beginning of 2022 when TaiyangNews started compiling this list, the number of high efficiency commercial products has increased rapidly from 15 to 54 till November 2023. Of the total 32 companies currently listed, several are seen as working on more than 1 cell technology. Speaking about IBC or interdigitated back contact modules, Chunduri pointed out that there has been a growing interest in back contacts as of recently. When Aiko appeared on the scene, efficiencies for commercial modules quickly went up after they had stayed below 23% for a long time.
Not only was Aiko the first to exceed the 23% efficiency level for commercial modules, it was also the first to touch the 24% level. It is now followed by LONGi, which introduced its back contact product only recently. The third highest efficient commercial back contact module product is offered by the pioneer in that field, Maxeon Solar, a spin-off of SunPower (see Top Solar Modules Listing – November 2023).
Talking about the company's ABC modules, Aiko Energy's Director Channel Marketing Europe, Bernhard Weber reflected on the company's technology growth. Having achieved an ABC cell efficiency of 26.5% in 2021, Aiko delivered 24% commercial module efficiency in the first half of 2023 and plans to continue pushing it even further.
Even though it doesn't have an in-house vertically integrated capacity, Weber shared that Aiko has made capital investments in polysilicon and wafer manufacturers which give the company full control over its supply chain. This ensures the quality and design of its products, he emphasized.
In-house, Aiko, which was originally a cell manufacturer, operates 5 highly automated production bases in China with an annual cell production capacity of 61 GW and 25 GW for ABC modules. As a strategic move, the company does not sell its ABC cells to 3rd parties.
With a regional office in Germany, Aiko is trying to stay close to its European customer base and also has a warehouse in Rotterdam, Netherlands to ensure that the supply chain is not disrupted.
Aiko also has a one-stop solution segment where in it provides solutions beyond modules for the full solar system including inverters, battery storage system and mounting structure. Weber said the idea is to offer customers everything from a single supplier.
The Chinese manufacturer's Portfolio of ABC modules spans glass-backsheet, glass-black backsheet, dual-glass-white backsheet and light weight modules, catering to residential, commercial and industrial (C&I) segment with maximum efficiencies ranging between 23.8% to 24%. For the utility scale segment, it offers 72-cell module with up to 23.7% efficiency and up to 625 W output.
Its distribution partner in Europe, Memodo fro Germany, has opted for Aiko's full black modules for its installers in the residential segment. Aiko achieves the full black color with black backsheet that matches the color of the cells lending a uniform look to the module.
Weber said this interest from Memodo in its full black modules is because of market demand as along with reliable and powerful systems, customers also want the modules to be aesthetically pleasing which influences their major purchasing decisions.
Bringing in the distributor's perspective, Alexander Sredanovic from Memodo's Engineering, Service & Academy listed the advantages of high efficiency Aiko modules in European rooftop solar markets.
Of the 4 key features of Aiko modules that work for the European market, according to Sredanovic, high efficiency is a plus due to the limited size of roofs. In particular in the Netherlands, where he is based, family homes are rather small and it calls for high-efficiency panels to be installed on small surface areas. Reduced hot spot risks due to the ABC cell topology, there is more safety and less losses, he said, adding that there is also much better resistance against microcracks and hot spots, hence more safety. Sredanovic also pointed to the low temperature coefficient of -0.26% that doesn't let the module power come down so much.
Pitting Aiko's ABC modules against PERC and TOPCon, Sredanovic said the efficiency of the former is higher vis-à-vis the latter 2 technologies. Annual degradation is less while power density is higher. The ABC cells also heat up less compared to traditional modules, he added, while Aiko modules come with 300% welding strength.
Despite all the talk of efficiency and stunning aesthetics, back contact modules are still high on capital investment, which Sredanovic admitted is 12.2% higher than PERC for Aiko's ABC modules.
"But then if you calculate energy yield over the years, you will notice after 3 years your benefits will already exceed the original investment. So the return on investment (ROI) is really quick and that makes it an attractive decision from customer's point of view because essentially they want to have the highest performance for the lowest amount of investment," he explained. "If you extend the lifetime to calculate the ROI over 30 years, you will find that with an ABC system you will have a gain of close to €20,000 which is a substantial gain over investment that's not even €10,000."
During the panel discussion moderated by TaiyangNews Senior Editor Anu Bhambhani, Aiko's panelist answered a query about the patent lawsuit filed against the company and memodo by Maxeon Solar Technologies regarding back contact technology. He asserted that Aiko's products are fundamentally different from the technology that is protected by the patent that has been claimed. He added that since the process is an ongoing one, the manufacturer will provide updates as and when the need arises.
Referring to the feedback Weber says the company receives from installers, he believes that aesthetics is a strong selling point for its ABC modules in Europe, especially for families that are equally focused on best efficiency and best looking modules for their homes.
Sredanovic shared that Memodo's installers find Aiko's ABC modules an eyecatcher because of how they look , which is an added bonus to the high efficiency these modules offer.
High capital investment for its ABC modules notwithstanding, Weber stressed that customers are now aware that high-quality modules do not come at bargain prices and that they are ready to make a financial commitment with a higher ROI in the long run.
In terms of the company's technology roadmap, Weber said the manufacturer will bring out products with higher efficiencies, pushing them towards the theoretical limit along with products with more W per/sq. m. Lightweight modules are also on the cards for the Chinese manufacturer.
Both Weber and Sredanovic unanimously stressed that ABC technology is here to stay and will dominate the PV technology space for the next few years to come till other next generation technologies as perovskites can become commercially viable.
TaiyangNews will exit 2023 with our flagship High Efficiency Solar Technologies Virtual Conference where we will touch upon TOPCon, heterojunction, next generation cells – and a deep dive into back contact technologies. Registrations to the conference to be held on December 13-14, and December 19-20, 2023 are already open and can be done free here.