Aiko launches new rooftop solar panels with 24.3% efficiency

Aiko says its 480 W Neostar 2P solar panels, with 24.3% efficiency, are the highest-efficiency residential rooftop PV modules in Australia. The Chinese manufacturer credits its n-type all-back-contact (ABC) cell technology for boosting power output without increasing panel size.

From pv magazine Australia

Chinese solar cell and module maker Aiko said its 480 W Neostar 2P solar panels rely on its n-type ABC cell technology to deliver a higher power output without increasing the panel size.

Thomas Bywater, country director of Aiko Australia and New Zealand, said the next-generation module builds on the success of its existing 470 W and 475 W panels in the 54-cell category, with only minor changes in the key structure and components at the panel level.

“Essentially in the last 12 months we have been able to lift the same architecture about 30 W on the existing production line, going from 450 W to 480 W through adjusting the time of certain processes, the types of pastes and materials for making cells, and tailored selection of the underlying silicon,” he said. “We did initially think it would be necessary to launch our third-generation panels in order to get 480 W, but we’ve been able to do it with the existing tech currently on the shelf.”

While the energy yield has been improved, Aiko said the 480 W Neostar 2P panels retain the compact, lightweight design of previous models, ensuring that they meet the practical requirements of Australian solar installers.

The all-black product measures 1,757 mm x 1,134 mm x 30 mm and weighs in at 21.5 kg. They are built with 3.2 mm tempered anti-reflective glass and black anodized aluminum frames and feature an IP68 enclosure. The panels have a temperature coefficient of -0.26% per degree Celsius, an operational temperature ranging from -40 C to 85 C and a maximum system voltage is 1,500 V.

Aiko provides a 30-year performance warranty, with a purported 1% degradation in the first year and a guaranteed end power output of no less than 88.85% of the nominal power after 30 years.

Bywater said the Neostar 480 W sets a new benchmark in residential solar in Australia but added there could be further improvements in store.

“We think it is even possible to get a 54-cell production module to 485 W on the current architecture,” he said. “This gives us some hope that when the third generation comes, we can go above the predicted 485 W pretty quickly.”

Aiko said the initial shipments of the Neostar 2P 480 W panel are already on their way to Australia with stock expected to be available in March.