Trina’s 400W+ Solar Modules May Prove to be Boon for Cities with Lesser Space

These 400W+ solar modules, based on half-cut multi-busbar technology, will be helpful in significantly increasing the power density as compared existing technologies.

In today’s scenario where many hi-tech cities across the world are dealing with scarcity of land, Chinese solar giant Trina Solar’s R&D team is currently working on developing a 400 watt-plus (400W+) modules for the solar industry.

These 400W+ solar modules, based on half-cut multi-busbar technology, will be helpful in significantly increasing the power density as compared to existing technologies.

Trina Solar on its website claimed that, this added density will help mitigate a common constraint on utility projects, namely the size of their given land areas, by generating more power within a smaller space.

While, the development of the product is still going on and the final product will be based on half-cut multi-busbar technology, instead of a five-busbar design.

This half-cut technology uses a textured 158 mm-squared cell cut in half to help improve performance during low irradiance, leading to a longer day of power generation from a utility installation.

Moreover, it reduces the amount of energy lost to shading between modules, harnesses Light Redirecting Film (LRF) to capture more power, and works well even at high operating temperatures, thanks to low thermal coefficients.

Also, the module itself is slightly larger and has the same approximate overall weight as current technology.

While, many of the familiar specifications of existing Trina Solar solutions should also carry over to the new 400W+ offering, including its: Pascal rating to withstand from severe snow and wind loads; Potential induced degradation (aka PID) indicating possible loss from stray currents; 72 Mono Perc cells and 3.2mm glass used for lighter weight and easier installations; Warranties – 10 years for the product and 25 years for linear power.

Besides, voltage will likely be certified at 1500 volts, keeping the balance of system costs down and deliver superior cost of electricity by source/LCOE. Eventual efficiency for the 400W+ module should approach 20 percent.

Additionally, these modules’ performance represents a 10 to 15 percent improvement over current Trina products with wattage ranges in the mid-to-high 300s.

Once the 400W+ module is available, the company will conduct internal tests that go above and beyond the certification authorities’ inspections for snow and wind loads along with PID resistance.

Meanwhile, it is expected that RFPs for utility-scale solar projects will be able to incorporate 400W+ modules sometime in the 2019 to 2022 window, although this timeline is still subject to change pending product development. However, subsequent updates and announcements will be expected that will clarify the final technical specifications.