New PV cell architecture creates resistively bounded subcells

• Solar Inventions, the winners of the initial American-Made Solar Prize, strategy to commercialize their newest product, which is declared to decrease silver web content and rise module power, while potentially saving makers approximately $1 million each year.

While PV system expenses are falling faster than expected, there is one module part that isn't following this pattern, and also is in fact increasing in expense significantly: silver. The cost of the product has increased by almost 40% from a year back, yet one firm declares it has produced a remedy that can lower silver expenses by 3%, while additionally raising PV module result.

Solar Inventions, the winners of the very first American-Made Solar Prize as well as the creators of Configurable Current Cell (C3) subcell modern technology-- a brand-new PV cell architecture that produces resistively bounded subcells. The suggestion of producing subcells is nothing brand-new, but Solar Inventions and its primary scientist, Dr. Benjamin Damiani, have actually had the ability to establish a means to develop these subcells more efficiently, without specialized processing. According to the company's initial white paper, producers are able to use C3 with just small changes in metallization print patterns as well as selective doping. This is possible via minor print screen alterations and also minimal changes to production lines, as C3 sets up the subcells in parallel to a cell's traditional busbars.

The technology deals with 95% of all silicon cell architectures, including monocrystalline, polycrystalline, PERC, HJT, as well as bifacial tech.

Damiani said the decrease of silver prices as well as higher module power output might lower module prices by as much as $0.01/ kWh, which is no tiny task. For a 300 MW PERC cell as well as module supplier, according to the white paper, C3 creates virtually $1 million in value via a 3% decrease in silver and also an additional 2 watts to 3 watts per 60-cell panel.

" This is an intriguing point," Damiani informed pv magazine. "I have a tendency to want to talk about the amazing scientific research and also changing the solar cell ... but I assume what really obtains individuals's interest is the silver cost savings."

These breakthroughs are simply the primary steps for Solar Inventions. The company intends to release a second-generation technology in the near future, in order to provide better resistance to microcracks and also thermal occasions, while additionally reducing the impacts of module shading.