Silfab Solar launches 21.4%-efficient back contact residential panel

Canada-based solar module manufacturer Silfab Solar has unveiled a new back contact module, which it claims is the most efficient and most durable panel ever produced by the company.

The SIL 370-380 BK series features three different modules with power ratings of 370, 375, and 380 W, and with module efficiencies ranging from 20.8 to 21.4%. The open-circuit voltage is between 44.76 and 45.13 V and the short-circuit current ranges from 10.33 to 10.55 A. The maximum system voltage for the module is 1,000 V.

All the modules measure 1,795 mm × 990 mm × 38 mm and weigh in at 19.0 kg. Each panel has 66 high-efficiency back-contact monocrystalline PERC cells, enclosed between 3.2 mm high transmittance, tempered glass, and a polymer backsheet developed by Dutch specialist DSM. It also features an MC4 connector developed by Swiss cable manufacturer Stäubli and a junction box with an IP 67 rating.

The panels can be used with operating temperatures of between -40°C and 85°C. The operating temperature coefficient is -0.37% per degree Celsius. They come with a 30-year linear power output guarantee and a 25-year product guarantee.

“The panel operates at lower temperatures in concert with superior low-light performance, which together increase energy yield by as much as 6% on a kWh/kWp basis,” the manufacturer stated. “The advanced back-contact technology reduces front cell metallization, minimizing shading losses, while simultaneously alleviating locked-in mechanical stress in the electrical contacts, resulting in improved performance, better long-term reliability, and higher efficiency.”

Silfab Solar currently produces back contact panels at its manufacturing facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and at a factory in Bellingham, Washington, in the United States.