Powerful new rooftop solar panel promises system sizes “previously out of reach”

Chinese solar manufacturer Aiko is selling a bigger-is-better story to Australian homeowners, after getting a more powerful solar panel approved for sale in the booming local market. 

The Clean Energy Council has approved the new ABC 60-cell module, which at up to 545 watts adds an extra 24 per cent of generating capacity above the average rooftop module, which currently sits somewhere between 370 watts to 440 watts.

“For homeowners, the key advantage is the ability to install more system capacity on constrained rooftops,” Aiko says. 

“As falling feed-in tariffs make self-consumption more valuable, households are adding batteries, EV charging, induction cooking, heat pumps, and other electric loads, driving demand for larger solar systems even though roof space remains limited. 

“In that context, a compact 60-cell panel delivering up to 545W makes it possible to reach target system sizes that were previously out of reach.”

It also means that smaller systems can still use fewer panels, which gives installers more flexibility – and provide a better aesthetics for people who care about what their roof looks like. 

However, what will be available to homeowners will in fact be 535 watts to 540 watts models, because the full 545 watts will only be available in limited production quantities.

Aiko says compared with similar-sized TOPCon panels, its new version can deliver up to 30W more output per panel and about 15 per cent higher lifetime energy yield per square metre.

The company says a typical 660 m² commercial rooftop can increase capacity from 100 watts to 107 watts on the same footprint, a small number on the face of it, but the possibility of lifting projected 30-year electricity revenue from $360,000 to $400,000.

Fewer modules mean reduced racking, wiring, and installation time, Aiko says. Aiko has also removed silver from its panel design and replaced it with copper interconnections.

Note: This story has been amended to correct measurement units.

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