Singapore’s Maxeon Solar Technology Co., Ltd. recently stated that they have found a new way to install photovoltaic panels on the roofs of commercial buildings. The company has created frameless, thin and light solar panels that can be directly “sticked” to the roof, so that buildings that cannot support traditional installation methods are also equipped with photovoltaic cells.
Maxeon CEO Jeff Waters said: “The Maxeon Air technology platform continues our 35-year tradition of solar panel technology innovation and once again proves the ability of our R&D team to develop cutting-edge and disruptive technologies.”
“In the past 50 years, the solar energy industry has almost completely adopted a glass laminate structure. With the increase in the size of solar panels and the drastic reduction in the cost of solar cells, the cost of transportation, installation and installation of large glass panels has become a relative part of the total system cost. The larger part. With Maxeon Air technology, we can now develop these relatively low-cost products, while opening up new market opportunities, such as low-load commercial roofs.” He added.
Maxeon Air panels are called a “peel-and-glue” solution, which has an integrated adhesive layer behind it, allowing them to be installed directly on the roof of a commercial building without the need for aluminum frames, brackets, anchors or ballasts Device. They are also designed to be suitable for uneven roof surfaces.
It is reported that each panel is composed of some IBC solar cells, which have a metal base and a strain-relief battery connection. They are corrosion resistant and can be bent without breaking. The overall conversion efficiency of the solar panel is said to be up to 20.9%, and the negative resistance has also been incorporated into the design.
Waters explained: “Maxeon’s IBC (Interdigital Back Contact) module technology has a unique ability to pass current in the shadows and continue to generate electricity when other panels are closed. This feature, coupled with inherent low temperature sensitivity , Ensuring industry-leading performance under all conditions.”
The company said that its installation weight is less than half of traditional solar panels, about 6 kg/m2, so they are very suitable for installation on roofs that cannot be designed to support the weight of traditional solar systems. Maxeon estimates that in Europe alone, the untapped potential of low-load commercial roofs may exceed 4 gigawatts. But the company is also looking at the potential uses of residential roofs, floating solar farms and electric vehicles.
After 5 years of research and development, Maxeon Air technology will be publicly unveiled in July this year, and then will be installed on several selected projects in Europe in the second half of this year, and finally is expected to be fully available in the first quarter of 2022.