Bifacial has now become an integral part of module technologies promoted for utility scale application. Naturally, the technology is also an important technology integrated into modules based on larger M10/182mm formats. This second largest commercially available wafer size today, which is also the latest to hit the commercial space, has a good representation in the sector; TaiyangNews Bifacial Solar 2021 – Part 1: Cells and Modules. TaiyangNews Bifacial Solar 2021 – Part 1: Cells and Modules report listed 16 bifacial module products from 12 selected suppliers based on M10 format.
M10 is nothing but a 182 mm pseudo-square wafer format and is strongly promoted by vertically integrated companies, such as LONGi, JinkoSolar, JA Solar (which all presented at the TaiyangNews 182 mm Day during the TaiyangNews High Efficiency Solar Conference in Dec. 2020). However, a few other cell and module companies have also opted for M10. In addition to mainstream PERC, Jolywood, for example, has adapted its TOPCon technology to 182 mm wafers. The Chinese company if offering two TOPCon module products built with 78 and 72 cells, respectively. The largest product is also the most powerful, reaching 615 W.
Apart from Jolywood, 9 other module suppliers in our listing are offering modules based on M10 format commercially. Within the PERC technology platform, GCL and Talesun are promoting the largest modules integrated with 78 cells that come with power ratings of 610 W and 590 W. With 11 products, the 72-cell configuration is the largest in our listing of bifacial modules based on M10. Nine module makers are supplying such products in 3 power classes – 550 W, 545 W and 540 W. Two products listings are from JinkoSolar and Jinergy that have the same rated power of 545 W. JinkoSolar’s Tiger Pro series comes with zero gap technology called Tiling Ribbon in addition to the half cell and MBB. The others are generally using low-gap technology, another way to optimize area utilization – with the disadvantage of lower module efficiency but less process complexity and avoiding the use of special BOM.  JA Solar is the only company that is promoting a 66-cell module configuration with a power rating of 505 W.
When it comes to bifaciality, TOPCon modules from Jolywood naturally score highest with 80% and 75%. The majority of the PERC product stream is rated with 70 +/- 5% bifaciality, while a few products are promoted with a fixed level of 70%.
The text is an excerpt from the TaiyangNews Bifacial Solar 2021 – Part 1: Cells and Modules report. For more details on bifacial modules in different wafer sizes perspective, please download the report, here.
TaiyangNews’ Bifacial Solar Conference 2021 Videos are available on YouTube; to view the event recordings click here.