Waaree Energies, an Indian solar PV (photovoltaics) module manufacturer, has come up with an innovation that improves the efficiency by reducing power loss.

Mumbai-based Waaree, one of the leading PV makers, has launched a 400 Watt peak (Wp) cut cell module series, which it says will improve power output by 50 per cent. It has come up with a doublet module with 400Wp capacity, which, as the name suggests, doubles the solar capacity. Basically, it consists of two module of half-cut cell connected in parallel with each other. With such an arrangement, the final output of such module remains almost the same.

“This is a vast improvement over the existing solar modules,” said Sunil Rathi, Director, Waaree Energies.

Waaree uses a method wherein solar cells are cut in half to reduce the cell-to-module losses, as solar power currently faces certain challenges such as the inconsistent availability of sunlight (during cloudy days).

This module will be manufactured at the company’s 1.5 GW module manufacturing plants in Gujarat and can be used in both commercial and residential projects.

Waaree believes that the best way for India’s transition towards a solar reliant nation is to go for rooftop solar usage, thereby maximising output in rooftop solar-related projects.

However, a lot of such installations have space constraints, especially in dense places. For instance, PV arrays must be mounted on a stable, durable structure that can support the array and should withstand wind, rain, hail, and corrosion over decades. These structures tilt the PV array at a fixed angle determined by the local latitude, orientation of the structure, and electrical load requirements. To obtain the highest annual energy output, modules in the northern hemisphere are pointed due south and inclined at an angle equal to the local latitude.

Rathi stated that due to land limitations, extracting the maximum energy out of such rooftop projects is vital to meet the 175GW renewable energy goal by 2022.

With the focus on the rooftop market, Waaree expects the entire market to eventually shift to 400Wp modules, owing to their higher output and efficiency, as well as lower space utilisation.

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