Empower Engenharia, a renowned third-party technical consultancy in Latin America, recently conducted a comprehensive power generation performance analysis, aims to evaluate the efficiency, reliability and energy yield of multiple PV module technologies available in the Brazilian market, specifically back-contact (LONGi Hi-MO 9), and TOPCon (standard-sized and oversized), using a real utility-scale project located in Minas Gerais, Brazil as a case study.
The technical case analyzed is a utility-scale solar project with 467.3MWp/362.5MW AC installed capacity using a 595-hectare area located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. This facility exemplifies the technical challenges associated with high-capacity photovoltaic projects in Brazil. Minas Gerais has emerged as one of Brazil's primary hotspots for photovoltaic development due to its exceptional solar irradiance levels, often exceeding 2,000 kWh/m² per year, which significantly boosts energy production potential. However, this region also presents unique operational challenges such as high temperature fluctuations throughout the year (minimum 11.1°C, maximum 40.8°C), imposing thermal stress on photovoltaic modules and potentially leading to efficiency losses and accelerated module degradation.
Layouts were developed considering four different PV modules currently available on the Brazilian market:
LONGi Hi-MO 9 back-contact, 660W
TOPCon, 630W
TOPCon, 710W
Superior Energy Yield: Hi-MO 9 outperforms others by ~2.3% in 1st Year and ~3.5% over the plant lifetime.
The analysis shows that in the first-year energy yield comparison, Hi-MO 9 BC modules achieved 2,193 full-load equivalent hours, surpassing standard-sized Topcon, and oversized TOPCon modules by 2.30% and 2.34% respectively; with its lower degradation rate, Hi-MO9 energy yield advantage of 25 years is even higher, with 3.45% and 3.59% more than others, demonstrating comprehensive generation superiority.
Technological advancements of Hi-MO 9
Hi-MO 9 applies LONGi’s proprietary HPBC 2.0 technology which features a front-side busbar-free design, significantly boosting module power and conversion efficiency. This study shows that LONGi Hi-MO 9 outperform all other currently available PV module technologies especially because of these advancements:
• Superior module efficiency provided by the elimination of micro-shadings when moving the contacts to the back of the cell.
• Higher pitch / lower GCR resulting from the higher module efficiency, reducing near shading losses and improving tracking conditions.
• Lower ohmic losses in DC cabling, consequence of the lower operating current of the Hi-MO 9 modules.
• Lower LID when compared to all other technologies.
• Lower operating temperature, which is especially impactful in harsh environmental conditions.
• Better performance under partial shading, uneven irradiance and soiling conditions, as experimentally proven by LONGi.
• Lower degradation over time, resulting from higher quality materials and advanced manufacturing processes.
Continuous investment in module technology innovation is indispensable for the advancement of photovoltaic energy markets and also to meet international sustainability goals, mitigating the long-term impacts of climate change. The new LONGi Hi-MO 9 line is the latest breakthrough in PV module technology, further pushing the boundaries of global energy transition by making renewable energy more affordable, reliable, and widely accessible
About Empower Engenharia
Empower Engenharia specializes in engineering services – including design, owner’s engineering, consultancy, commissioning and O&M - for utility-scale and distributed solar, wind and hydro generation, as well as energy storage (BESS), transmission, and distribution. With over 19 GW of projects across Brazil, Empower delivers expertise and innovation to support the country’s growing energy sector.
About LONGi
Founded in 2000, LONGi (Stock code: 601012. SH) is committed to being the world's leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full scenario energy transformation.
Under its mission of 'making the best of solar energy to build a green world', LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established several business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers, cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions, building integrated photovoltaic and hydrogen equipment. As an international company, LONGi's business covers more than 160 countries and regions. Actively practicing its "Solar for Solar" concept, LONGi is accelerating the global transition to sustainable energy and promoting energy equity, enabling more people around the world to access affordable clean energy.
More details here: www.longi.com/
