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Solar: Advanced Module Technologies Moving onto the Main Stage
Advanced Module Technologies Moving onto the Main Stage
October 31, 2016
By Roberto Labastida
....
...The main players in the market have been announcing small capacity expansions since early 2014, but these announcements have soared since November 2015. As they expand capacity, manufacturers are starting to introduce new technologies that could differentiate them from the competition.
The dramatic reduction in solar module prices during the past few years has exposed the importance of the balance-of-system (BOS) costs. Module and inverter manufacturers are increasingly finding themselves squeezed by the growing number of grid requirements, customer demands for increased functionality, and the need for solar to keep reducing costs to achieve grid parity in most of the world.
According to the latest U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System Cost Benchmark: Q1 2016 report published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, non-equipment-related costs were $1.91/W, while the module plus inverter cost was only $0.85/W for a residential installation in the U.S. in 2015. For utility-scale projects, these costs vary significantly depending on the size of the installation, but non-hardware-related costs usually represent between 45 percent and 55 percent of the final cost of a project.
Manufacturers have targeted high-efficiency module technologies that allow them to keep module prices similar to current levels while simultaneously reducing other costs in the value chain. Passivated emitter rear cell (p-type PERC or simply PERC) modules and negative type (n-type) semiconductor modules have been the favored technologies for capacity expansion.
...
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/10/advanced-module-technologies-moving-onto-the-main-stage.html
October 31, 2016
By Roberto Labastida
....
...The main players in the market have been announcing small capacity expansions since early 2014, but these announcements have soared since November 2015. As they expand capacity, manufacturers are starting to introduce new technologies that could differentiate them from the competition.
The dramatic reduction in solar module prices during the past few years has exposed the importance of the balance-of-system (BOS) costs. Module and inverter manufacturers are increasingly finding themselves squeezed by the growing number of grid requirements, customer demands for increased functionality, and the need for solar to keep reducing costs to achieve grid parity in most of the world.
According to the latest U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System Cost Benchmark: Q1 2016 report published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, non-equipment-related costs were $1.91/W, while the module plus inverter cost was only $0.85/W for a residential installation in the U.S. in 2015. For utility-scale projects, these costs vary significantly depending on the size of the installation, but non-hardware-related costs usually represent between 45 percent and 55 percent of the final cost of a project.
Manufacturers have targeted high-efficiency module technologies that allow them to keep module prices similar to current levels while simultaneously reducing other costs in the value chain. Passivated emitter rear cell (p-type PERC or simply PERC) modules and negative type (n-type) semiconductor modules have been the favored technologies for capacity expansion.
Tough Market to Test the Value of New Technologies
...
See also
PERC Solar Cell Technology Gaining Ground in 2014
Passivated emitter rear contact solar cells are at 20% efficiency today—but price premiums are steep.
by Jade Jones
August 14, 2014
Over the course of the last year, progress in the manufacturing of passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) solar cells has begun to reveal the full technological and commercial potential of this new cell architecture. There have been developments in equipment and manufacturing processes, as well as research, summarized in the following graphic....
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/PERC-Solar-Cell-Technology-Gaining-Ground-in-2014Passivated emitter rear contact solar cells are at 20% efficiency today—but price premiums are steep.
by Jade Jones
August 14, 2014
Over the course of the last year, progress in the manufacturing of passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) solar cells has begun to reveal the full technological and commercial potential of this new cell architecture. There have been developments in equipment and manufacturing processes, as well as research, summarized in the following graphic....