Enel Italy launches 680W n-type heterojunction PV cell

According to foreign media reports, Enel Green Power (EGP), a subsidiary of Italian utility manufacturer Enel, has launched its latest photovoltaic modules at the 8th World Photovoltaic Energy Conversion Conference held in Milan, Italy.

Enel's latest product is a heterojunction bifacial PV module suitable for utility-scale PV projects. It is based on n-type PV cells in G12 format and has a power conversion efficiency of up to 24.6%.

Eliano Russo, head of 3Sun, an Enel company, said, "The first 400MW line at our PV module production facility in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy, will start producing this product in September 2023. The efficiency of this PV cell has already been certified by the German Solar Institute in Hamelin (ISFH). However according to our roadmap we should be able to increase the efficiency to 25% in 2025 and to more than 26% in the second half of 2026."

The current thickness of this PV cell is 150µm, but the company's technology roadmap has set a target of 120µm by the end of 2025.

Russo explains, "We produce a flexible PV cell that is more resistant to mechanical stress than TOPCon and PERC photovoltaic cells. We have carried out several tests and the results show that they do not swell as significantly as PERC cells if there are small cracks."

The product is available in nine versions, with power outputs ranging from 640W to 680W and average efficiencies from 22.6% to 22.9%. The open circuit voltage is 43.3V to 44.2V and the short circuit current ranges from 18.9A to 19.8A.

All versions have PV module dimensions of 2,172mm x 1,303mm x 35mm and a weight of 36kg. maximum system voltage of 1,500V with 95% bifaciality. They can be used in an operating temperature range of -40°C to 85°C with an operating temperature coefficient of -0.24%/°C. The photovoltaic cells are encapsulated between anti-reflection treated 2mm photovoltaic glass and also feature an IP68 rated junction box and an anodised aluminium frame.

The new product will come with a 30-year linear power output guarantee and a 20-year product quality guarantee. The degradation rate is said to be 1.0% in the first year and the power output after 30 years will be no less than 93% of the nominal output.

Russo said: "Our PV module manufacturing plant will start operations in September 2023 and will have an annual capacity of around 400MW. The low cost per unit of electricity (LCOE) of this product allows us to respond to market competition while ensuring profitability."

EGP will initially supply mainly to the European market, where it is already obliged to sell up to 60 per cent of its products, as it has received significant funding from the EU.

Russo said, "We will also enter other markets in the US, Latin America and Asia and may also consider opening new plants abroad. By opting for heterojunction technology, the decision was made to bet on technology and innovation, but consideration is also being given to scaling up production, which could increase competitiveness through economies of scale."

Enel is investing 600 million euros in the expansion of 3Sun's production facilities. Of this, €188 million is expected to be provided by the European Commission and the Italian government through funding from the Innovation Fund and the National Recovery and Resilience Programme (NRRP).

A production plant for EGP with an annual capacity of 200 MW of photovoltaic modules opens for operation in October 2019. The company invested around €80 million to revive the plant, which Enel built in 2011 as a joint venture with Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp using French-Italian semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics, and which Enel subsequently acquired in full in July 2014. At the time, the plant was planned to produce multi-junction thin-film silicon photovoltaic modules.