APOLLON SOLAR

NICE Bifacial Module Technology

Apollon Solar: F. Madon, O. Nichiporuk, R. EinhausISC Konstanz: T. Klaus, L. Popescu, C. Comparotto, G. Galbiati, A. Edler

Monday 26th May 2014bifi PV Workshop 2014, Chambéry, France

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Outline

Introduction New Industrial Cell Encapsulation (NICE) Module technology

Bifacial NICE modules NICE Bifacial modules – challenges First bifacial NICE module results with ISC Konstanz BISON

solar cells Challenges/Solutions

- Edge Junction box- Module optics

Conclusions

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Sealing by PolyIsoButylene (PIB), well established in insulating glass industry

No encapsulant, no soldering: Under-pressure in the module to assure electrical series contacts

Possibility to use cells without screen printed busbars Invented and patented by Apollon Solar in 2002

NICE module Technology

Rear glass

Cell Cell

Interconnection ribbons pressed on the cellUnder-pressure

Pressure force due to the inside under-pressure

Front glass

PIB Sealing

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Station for sealing deposition

Pick & Place stations for ribbons and cells

Busbar deposition station

Module press

NICE Industrialisation – Energy Industrie, Tunisia

Station for gluing

Production start in 2014 Using NICE modules revision 3 with mono-c cells, fully certified according to IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 standards (TÜV Rheinland)

First Industrial 30 MW NICE line in Bou Salem, Tunisia

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NICE modules are glass/glass modulespriviledged for bifacial operation

NICE technology for bifacial modules

Challenges Glass

AR Coating on both glass sides to improve optical couplingTrade-off standard glass and extra white PV glass on the rearCosts vs Performance !

Junction BoxShading of the module rearMaximum allowable currents

FrameFrameless version imaginable with sufficient mechanicalresistance? No additional shading! Costs!

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Fabrication of 2 full size (60 cells) NICE modules from ISC-Konstanz’ bifacial BISON cells (19.2% – 19.9%)

SiN on cells not optimised for EVA free modules No cell binning Standard glass on rear side (lower transparency that extra white PV glass)

IV Data by PI Berlin:

Bifacial NICE modules – 60 cells

Illumination Voc[V]

Isc[A]

FF[%]

Pmax[W]

Front 38.84 8.52 74.91 248Rear 38.35 6.32 77.9 189Grey back 39.05 9.26 74.92 271

White back 39.11 9.69 75.10 285+9.3%+15%

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Bifacial NICE modules – busbar free cells

Fabrication of 2 experimental 20 cells NICE modules from ISC-Konstanz’ bifacial BISON cells without screen printed busbarson front and rear for 1st proof of concept Same constraints as before – no optimisation of cells for NICE modules Potential risk of I-mismatch, busbar free cells not individually characterised Module simulator calibrated and configured for 60 cells – V and resistance

measurements with higher uncertainty for 20 cells only

IV Data by PI Berlin:Illumination Voc

[V]Isc[A]

FF[%]

Pmax[W]

Front 12.88 8.55 72.6 79,9Rear 12.78 6.61 74.9 63.2Grey back 12.99 9.20 73.5 87.8

White back 13.02 9.70 73.5 92.7+9.9%+16%

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Installation of 2 NICE modules at ISC test site in El Gouna (Egypt)

Nice Bifacial installation + Monitoring

• 2 full size NICE modules from BISON cells

• Continuous monitoring during Jan – April 2014:Pmax, Voc, Isc, Vmp, Imp, temperatures, Irradiance

• Full IV curve everyminute (synch’d)

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Module efficiencies from collected data (jan. – april 2014):in function of irradiation

Bifacial gain

partial shading

*the lines provides the guidelines for eye

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Observations from 4 months data (jan. – april 2014):

Nice Bifacial modules – peak data

Maximum module temperature : Tmax = 49.1°C(measured at center position on module rear)Front Irradiation: 870 W/m2, Ambient temp.: 32.4°CPower: 212 W

Maximum generated current : Iscmax = 11.67 AFront Irradiation: 1214 W/m2, Power: 313 W approaches limit of standard junction boxes

Generated peak power : Pmax = 313 WIrradiation front + rear: 1214 W/m2 + 290 W/m2

Tmodule: 33°C

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Edge junction box - for bifacial modules

Integral solution – positioning of J-Box on module edge- no shading losses on rear- compatible with standard glass (no glass machining or glass overlap)

Compatible with higher currents (Imax = 20A) Cables along module edges – no shading of rear by cables

Developed with major J-Box manufacturer, under certification

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Performance gain by AR coated glass on both sides

Optical optimisation – Glass/ARCs

Air1.0Glass1.5

Gaz (N2)1.0SiN2.1Si3.5

n

Optical losses by reflection: Interface Glass/N2 Interface N2/SiN

Reduced Isc, reduced P

SiNSi

2.13.5

Gaz (N2)1.0

n

Glass

Air1.0

1.5SiOx1.25

SiOx1.25

Glass manufacturers identified who provide AR coated glass

Tests on full size modules underway

Expected gain: +4.0 % Isc+ Power

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NICE module technology perfectly suited for bifacial modules

Demonstration of industrial size bifacial modules usingISC’s BISON solar cells

Demonstration of additional benefits using busbar free solarBISON cells

Newly developed edge junction box with particularadvantages for bifacial modules

Ongoing work on optimisation of module optics

International standards for IV characterisation of bifacial modules under bifacial operation would be helpful in the future

Conclusions

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APOLLON SOLAR

Vincent Industrie for a long-term partnership on the industrialisation of the NICE technology and realisationof fully automated production lines

ISC Konstanz for a very constructive collaboration on bifacial module development

PI Berlin for IV characterisation data CEA-INES for long-term collaboration on NICE

technology Financing by BPI / OSEO

Acknowledgements

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Thank you for your attention !

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