Solar PV News

[TheTalkingMule]

405W standard all-black panels from Jinko. Pretty awesome to think 400+ will soon be the standard.

Jinko enters the residential solar game with a bang

 

[iPlug]

60-cell or 72-cell form factor?

 

[mspohr]

Here comes the sun canoe, as Amazonians take on Big Oil

Here comes the sun canoe, as Amazonians take on Big Oil

Ecuador’s oil industry has wrought tremendous disruption and destruction on the peoples of the Amazon rainforest. It is not just the pollution, heavy machinery and deforestation. It is roads as well.

The solar canoes are a defiant attempt to stand up to this incursion. The project, conceived by the Quito-based Kara Solar Foundation, aims to connect nine communities in Achuar territory with public transport powered by the sun.

The project envisages an Amazon teeming with solar canoes that will potentially replace the tens of thousands of vessels that burn thousands cubic metres of fuel each year.

 

[Lozza12]

60-cell or 72-cell form factor?

72 I believe.

 

[iPlug]

In that case, meh. 400W+ 72-cell has been around for a good while. 60-cell would really be something.

 

[SageBrush]

In that case, meh. 400W+ 72-cell has been around for a good while. 60-cell would really be something.

Why does it matter ?

 

[miimura]

Why does it matter ?

It may not. High wattage panels that are physically larger have been around for a while. Typically, all of those are 72 cell modules.

IMHO, true breakthroughs are in efficiency and therefore W/m^2 output.

 

[SageBrush]

It may not. High wattage panels that are physically larger have been around for a while. Typically, all of those are 72 cell modules.

IMHO, true breakthroughs are in efficiency and therefore W/m^2 output.

Yeh ...
I may not understand so I waiting for iPlug to answer but my impression was that less cells = less wiring and less wiring = higher efficiency (all else being equal.) This panel is ~ 21% which I think is inline with top tier panels so I don't see the high cell number disadvantage.

Put another way, if the panel is high efficiency then the cell number is a moot point.

 

[iPlug]

405W standard all-black panels from Jinko. Pretty awesome to think 400+ will soon be the standard.
Jinko enters the residential solar game with a bang

It may not. High wattage panels that are physically larger have been around for a while. Typically, all of those are 72 cell modules.

IMHO, true breakthroughs are in efficiency and therefore W/m^2 output.

Why does it matter ?

Was replying to the first quote here, that in essence 400W+ 72-cell was already the standard. Competitors have been making 400W+ with 72-cell format for some time. So was pointing out this was not new to available products already on the market. 21% efficiency as well.

Perhaps they are the first to all-black panels with this format, don't know. That could matter for some.

As for 60-cell, 400W+ would be nice because it would require a greater efficiency than what is currently the leader on the market.

Am not aware of how common residential 60- vs. 72-cell installs are, and this will vary from case to case, but the 72-cell format is space limiting for many. In my neighborhood, Elliot homes here, many can achieve more total solar PV panel surface area and production on our roofs with 60-cell. So large efficiency breatkthroughs with 60-cell and everywhere would be nice.

 

[SageBrush]

Was replying to the first quote here, that in essence 400W+ 72-cell was already the standard. Competitors have been making 400W+ with 72-cell format for some time. So was pointing out this was not new to available products already on the market. 21% efficiency as well.

I may be mistaken but I'm under the impression that past production of 72 cell, 400 watt panels were larger than 60 cell varieties. Pretty much the same cell * 72 instead of * 60.

In this case a 400 watt panel at 21% STC is 0.5/0.21 = 2.38 meter*meter. Is that an improvement (decrease) in size compared to older 400 watt panels ?

 

[dhrivnak]

Why does it matter ?

For homes where one needs to carry panels to a roof 72 cell is too big and heavy.

 

[iPlug]

I may be mistaken but I'm under the impression that past production of 72 cell, 400 watt panels were larger than 60 cell varieties. Pretty much the same cell * 72 instead of * 60.

My impression also. But thought cell size could be variable. Not sure is that is right, though.

In this case a 400 watt panel at 21% STC is 0.5/0.21 = 2.38 meter*meter. Is that an improvement (decrease) in size compared to older 400 watt panels ?

Was trying to find the answer to that and tried looking up the spec sheet on the Jinko panel yesterday, including on their website, but could not find it.

Some of my panels are LG so look at their website for updates on latest wares every few months. They have had 400W+ 72-cell for 2+ years IIRC. Here is one:

LG LG405N2W-V5: 405W High Efficiency LG NeON®2 Solar Panel with 72 Cells(6 x 12), Module Efficiency: 20.3%, Connector Type: MC4 | LG USA Business

My understanding (misunderstanding?) is that although one can have identical ratings (say 405W) on a panel of the same footprint, they can have different efficiencies due to how creatively the variably sized cells are crammed onto that same footprint.

Others more knowledgeable may chime in.

 

[SageBrush]

My understanding (misunderstanding?) is that although one can have identical ratings (say 405W) on a panel of the same footprint, they can have different efficiencies due to how creatively the cells are crammed onto that same footprint.

IIRC not cramming but the space taken up by wiring. And I presume that manufacturers are free to change cell size if they want.

 

[iPlug]

IIRC not cramming but the space taken up by wiring. And I presume that manufacturers are free to change cell size if they want.

That sounds right, I was updating my post while you were replying it seems.

 

[SageBrush]

@iPlug, did you come across the panel weight ?

 

[mspohr]

My impression also. But thought cell size could be variable. Not sure is that is right, though.


Was trying to find the answer to that and tried looking up the spec sheet on the Jinko panel yesterday, including on their website, but could not find it.

Some of my panels are LG so look at their website for updates on latest wares every few months. They have had 400W+ 72-cell for 2+ years IIRC. Here is one:

LG LG405N2W-V5: 405W High Efficiency LG NeON®2 Solar Panel with 72 Cells(6 x 12), Module Efficiency: 20.3%, Connector Type: MC4 | LG USA Business

My understanding (misunderstanding?) is that although one can have identical ratings (say 405W) on a panel of the same footprint, they can have different efficiencies due to how creatively the variably sized cells are crammed onto that same footprint.

Others more knowledgeable may chime in.

I'm interested in these for a new house. Contacted a distributor. He said would be available in the Fall but didn't have a spec sheet.

 

[SageBrush]

Here is something that is close
ENF Ltd.

but the 405 watt panel is rated 19.78%. It weighs 26.6 kg and is ~ 2.05 meter*meter area. Perhaps they are using 1000 watts/meter*meter instead of the 800 I thought was standard testing.*

I'll guess that the panel mentioned in the OP is quite similar to the link in terms of size and weight but it used the increase in cell efficiency to improve aesthetics.

* my mistake: STC is 1000 watts per meter*meter,
NOCT ("PTC" to some) is 800 watts per meter*meter

 

[iPlug]

@iPlug, did you come across the panel weight ?

The Jinko panel (updating this post): found it: "21.3 kg (46.74 lbs)"

https://jinkosolar.eu/files/jinko/download/2020/datasheet/Tiger JKM385-405N-6RL3-B-D4-EN.pdf



The comparable LG panel is listed as 20.3 kg.

I'm interested in these for a new house. Contacted a distributor. He said would be available in the Fall but didn't have a spec sheet.

The Jinko or LG?

Here's another 405W LG:
LG LG405N2W-A5: High Efficiency LG NeON® 2 72cell Module Cells: 6 x 12 Module efficiency 19.5% Connector Type: MC4 | LG USA Business

 

[SageBrush]

^^ I'll have to be skeptical for now since the panel has reportedly dropped ~ 24% in weight but the efficiency increase of ~ 7% is no where near that and the panel sizes in square meters are 1.91 in your link Vs 2.05 for the other Jinko Solar I found. Some numbers are wrong in my spec sheet or yours, or something else is in play to drop the weight.

I hope your spec sheet is correct -- that is one awesome panel if true.

 

[iPlug]

Indeed. On the spec sheet I found, that’s ~ 6” shorter than the LG panels. Jinko: “1855×1029×35mm (73.03×40.51×1.37 inch)”. If this is right, that is a noteworthy new entrant by reduced footprint.