Exceptionally efficient - AIKO Gen 2 modules with partial shading optimisation

As a technology leader, AIKO brings out the best in its 2nd generation modules. Here are the key benefits of the all-black AIKO Neostar 2S and the glass/glass AIKO Neostar 2S+ modules.

• Partial shading optimisation:
  This state-of-the-art technology ensures that AIKO Gen 2 solar modules maintain exceptional efficiency even when individual cells are shaded. Learn more about this.
• High efficiency:
  Both variants of the AIKO Gen 2 modules deliver impressive output, offering 455 Wp with a remarkable efficiency of 22.8%.
• ABC technology:
  The Neostar 2S and Neostar 2S+ modules feature ABC technology, which stands for 'All Back Contact'. This design places all solar cell contacts on the back of the module, preventing shading and allowing the entire front of the module to be used to generate energy. It also gives the modules an aesthetically pleasing and uniform appearance.

A unique feature of the new AIKO modules is partial shading optimisation. This technology ensures higher solar power yields. And this is how it works:

Most solar modules on the market are half-cell models with 6 cell strings - 3 on the top half and 3 on the bottom half of the module. When a single cell in the module is shaded, perhaps by tree shade, leaves or dirt, the resistance in that shaded cell increases. The electric current then takes the path of least resistance, avoiding the longer path through the remaining cells in the affected string, and instead flows through one of the 3 bypass diodes. As a result, the module loses 1/6 of its power - equivalent to a 16.67% power loss from just one shaded cell. This is where AIKO's advanced technology comes in:

The new AIKO Neostar Gen 2 modules are designed to keep the resistance in the shaded cell so low that current continues to flow through the cell string without being diverted to the bypass diodes. While the shaded cell is no longer producing power, the other cells in the string continue to deliver full power. This reduces the power loss to just 1/54 or 1.85% for each shaded cell. As a result, with only one shaded cell, the photovoltaic module continues to operate at 98.15% of its output capacity, rather than dropping to 83.33%.

One of the main benefits of partial shading optimisation is lower temperatures. Resistance in electrical circuits generates heat. But because of the lower resistance in the shaded cell, it gets much less hot. For example, while conventional TopCon cells can reach temperatures of up to 150°C with prolonged shading, the cells in AIKO Gen 2 modules only reach around 100°C. This has two major benefits:

• Safety:
  AIKO Gen 2 modules significantly reduce the risk of hot spots, which protects the photovoltaic system, extends its lifetime and also reduces the risk of fire.
• Efficiency:
  Solar cells lose power as the temperature rises. The temperature coefficient measures this power loss as a percentage per degree Celsius. AIKO Gen 2 modules have a market-leading low coefficient of -0.26%/°C.