The Italian company FuturaSun has developed new bifacial double-glass PV modules based on n-type heterojunction (HJT) half-cut multi-rail solar cells. The Velvet Pro series has M6 cells with power ranging from 380 W to 480 W for ceiling applications. The Velvet Premium series features M12 cells with power from 615W to 700W for large applications.
“The bifaciality coefficient of the Velvet module is about 15% higher than the standard value of the bifacial module based on PERC technology,” the Italian module manufacturer said, noting that their bifaciality coefficient increases up to 85%.
Intended for residential and commercial roof applications, the Velvet Pro series features a glass-to-glass construction with a 120 or 144 HJT multi-rail half-cut M6 cell. There are five versions of modules containing 120 cells, with powers varying from 380 W to 400 W and a power efficiency of 20.9% to 22.0%. The breakdown voltage is between 44.46 V and 44.88 V and the short circuit voltage is between 10.73 A and 11.12 A.
Their dimensions are 1755 mm x 1038 mm x 30 mm and weight 23.5 kg. The front side is covered with 2 mm non-reflective glass and the back side with either 2 mm white or transparent glass.
“The glass-to-glass construction ensures high load-bearing capacity, strong mechanical stability and exceptional resistance to the elements,” FuturaSun said. “In addition, it reduces the risk of micro-cracks, slug effect and corrosion from moisture, sand and salt spray.”
There are also five versions of modules with 144 HJT cells, ranging from 460 W to 480 W and power efficiencies of 21.2% to 22.1%. The breakdown voltage is 53.21 V to 53.76 V and the short circuit voltage is 10.59 A to 10.81 A. Their dimensions are 2094 mm x 1038 mm x 30 mm and the weight is 27.5 kg.
The Velvet Premium series for industrial and utility PV systems features a glass-to-glass construction with a 120 or 132 HJT multi-rail, half-cut G12 cell.
There are five versions of the modules containing 120 cells, with powers ranging from 615 W to 635 W and a power efficiency of 21.7% to 22.4%. The breakdown voltage is between 44.76 V and 45.47 V and the short circuit voltage is between 17.18 A and 17.42 A. Their dimensions are 2172 mm x 1303 mm x 35 mm and the weight is 35.3 kg.
There are also five versions of the modules with 132 HJT cells, with powers ranging from 680 W to 700 W and a power efficiency of 21.9% to 22.5%. The breakdown voltage is 49.51 V to 50.14 V and the short circuit voltage is 17.19 A to 17.42 A. Their dimensions are 2,384 mm x 1,303 mm x 35 mm and the weight is 38.7 kg.
The new products can operate with a system voltage of up to 1500 V and have an IP67/IP68 junction box with an anodized aluminum frame. Their temperature coefficient is -0.26% per degree Celsius and their operating temperature ranges from -40 C to 85 C.
They have a 30-year linear power warranty and a 15-year product warranty. The first year degradation is claimed to be 1.0% and at the end of 30 years the power is guaranteed to be at least 88% of the rated output power.
“This stability is also due to the new module’s cells, which are resistant to light-induced degradation (LID) because the n-type cells are doped with phosphorus and not boron,” said FuturaSun.
