Multi-wire and half cut cells for 340Wp solar panels
You’ve probably noticed your options for solar panel types have increased in the past few months. It has partly to do with the removal of MIP and partly to do with maturity of the next stage in solar panel advancements. As you know, Autarco never offered a 5BB halfcut and waited it out to directly deliver more advanced technologies, our Silverpoint and multi-wire halfcut panels. Let us explain why.
Our decision to skip directly to multi-wire technology
Choosing the right solar panel technology must be about more than finding the lowest EUR/Wp or finding the highest rated power. Our approach at Autarco is to offer our partners the solar panel with the perfect mix between price and long-term performance with a zero tolerance on sacrificing any reliability. In other words we seek to reduce EUR/kWh over a systems life (LCOE if you prefer) that can be delivered with certainty and insured.
This approach resulted in a decision to not offer a 5BB half-cut solar panel in to the market and to skip directly to multi-wire and Silverpoint technology. The additional 5Wp in powerclass delivered by 5BB halfcut was not worth the additional risk that doubling the soldering points on traditional busbars introduced.
Combining two innovations into one new solar panel
Combining the recent multi-wire and halfcut developments into one solar panel, Autarco is now able to present its new MHE series, with the outstanding 120-cell 335Wp solar panel now available.
With halfcut cells, the cells that are capturing the sun’s energy are split in two, resulting in 120 cells in a traditional sized solar panel. Because of the smaller size, internal currents in the cells are lower, meaning less power losses and higher power classes for these solar panels. Because of the halfcut cells the solar panels are also less impacted by shade, further improving yields.
Multi-wire is a completely new technology compared to traditional busbars, it is a leap rather than a gradual shift like we saw from 3 to 4 to 5 busbars. There are fundamental changes in the way multi-wire technology works. You are using a thin round wire rather than a flat bus-bar which delivers some reflective benefits. Because lower pressure is exerted on the cell during soldering and lower temperature is used, the likelihood of interconnection and microcrack related defects is reduced.
As well as a reduced likelihood of defects, if a defect does occur, the impact is far more contained, effectively impacting only 1/9 of the cell as opposed to 1/5. So although a halfcut solar panel has more soldering connections, risks are in fact smaller than in more traditional panels.
Our new MHE series solar panel is available for ordering now, act quickly if you don’t want to miss out! Contact us for more details or view the product documentation below.