Panasonic announces 22.5% module-level efficiency solar panel

PV Magazine

Company claims new solar module prototype sets new world record for module-level efficiency based on mass-production technology. New HIT N330 high-powered module set to debut in U.K.

Mere days after U.S. solar company SolarCity claimed to have produced the world’s most efficient rooftop PV module – achieving 22.04% module-level efficiency – Japan’s Panasonic has raised the bar even higher with today’s announcement that it has produced a 22.5% efficient solar module based on mass-production technology.

The electronics giant revealed that its latest commercial-sized prototype panel has been produced using solar cells based on mass-production techniques, utilizing a 72-cell, 270-watt prototype that incorporates Panasonic’s enhanced technology that can be immediately scaled into volume production.

The panel’s 22.5% conversion efficiency was verified by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and builds upon the 25.6% efficiency record the company set in 2014 at cell level.

“The new panel efficiency record demonstrates once again Panasonic’s proven leadership in photovoltaics and our ongoing commitment to move the needle in advanced solar technology,” said Panasonic Eco Solutions Europe senior business developer Daniel Roca.

Panasonic will also introduce its HIT N330 solar panels to the U.K. market next week. The high powered modules are mass produced with a conversion efficiency of 19.7% module-level efficiency, and a nominal power output of 330 watts, making them – Roca added – ideal for mature solar markets going big on self-consumption.

“For solar installers, the HIT N330 represents the ideal complement to their existing Panasonic solar portfolio, delivering the missing tool to achieve more power on any roof, and to maximize BOS savings and lower installation costs,” Roca said.

Source: PV Magazine. Reproduced with permission.