Panasonic recently released its heterojunction solar module product. It is understood that this module is primarily targeted at residential users, and therefore features several highlights in both technology and design.
Firstly, from a technical standpoint, this is a heterojunction solar module. This is a promising next-generation solar cell technology, boasting higher conversion efficiency than PERC technology and fewer manufacturing steps. The current difficulty in widespread adoption stems from the high cost of production equipment and the need for low-temperature silver paste, which is entirely different from the high-temperature silver paste used in PERC and TOPCON cell technologies.
However, heterojunction solar cell technology was invented by Japanese companies, and local companies have long had heterojunction solar cell equipment. However, judging from the current development of Japan's photovoltaic industry, the scale is not large, and the cost is significantly higher. Regarding low-temperature silver paste, the Japanese company Kyoto ELEX (KE) holds over 90% of the global market share, which relieves Panasonic of any concerns in this area.
Thanks to the strong support of its partner companies, Panasonic was able to develop this heterojunction solar module. Its performance is also outstanding, with a conversion efficiency of 21.2% to 21.7%, comparable to the leading level of current PERC cell technology modules. After product iteration, it is very likely to exceed 22%.
In addition, Panasonic offers a 25-year product warranty and a 25-year power output guarantee for this product, ensuring it will still operate at 92% of its initial performance at the end of the warranty period. This means the power degradation will not exceed 8% over 25 years.
In terms of design, Panasonic also launched a black version of this component, which has a more cohesive appearance and can meet the needs of users with different requirements. However, its efficiency performance is somewhat inferior, ranging from 20.6% to 21.2%.
Overall, Panasonic's heterojunction solar modules boast excellent product capabilities, though they come at a higher price. However, residential users are relatively less price-sensitive, and these modules may be very popular in the Japanese market.
