Aiko unveils back-contact solar module with ‘fully intelligent integration’

Chinese solar cell and module maker Aiko presented its new intelligent solar module series, Navigator, at this year's Intersolar. Based on the company’s N-type, all-back-contact (ABC) technology, Navigator promises a 3% to 5% boost in annual energy yield and lower operating costs.

Aiko has introduced its latest solar module series, Navigator. Billed as an intelligent solar module, the company says Navigator resembles its existing N-type ABC module series but also features a “fully intelligent integration” that yields a 3% to 5% increase in annual output.

In a statement, Aiko said the launch marked “a significant step in integrating intelligence into high-performance PV modules”, helping asset owners to “unlock greater yields, lower operations and maintenance costs and maximize long-term value”.

The module’s junction box uses power-line communication (PLC) to transmit real-time data through existing DC cables, requiring no additional wiring. The data is transmitted to a central gateway and a cloud-based management platform, which allows operators to monitor each module. Aiko said this module-level data stream would allow for early detection of anomalies and AI-driven diagnostics, speeding up fault resolution.

Navigator has been designed to streamline maintenance at utility-scale plants. Aiko claims that a typical 10 MW site inspection could fall from around 30 working days to under one hour, a reduction of over 95% in effort. The company also said the module would recover up to 300,000 kWh per year in previously-invisible losses on a 10 MW array.

Navigator represents Aiko’s push to embed intelligence into high-efficiency PV modules. The company's statement added that the built-in connectivity lays the foundation for future AI-driven diagnostics and autonomous maintenance, preparing solar farms for “the next stage of intelligence”.