PV module and mounting system solution provider Giga Solar FPC presented its latest lightweight, high efficient PV module solution, which is especially ideal for rooftop solar projects.
Giga Solar’s newly launched PV modules has been successfully completed a series of environmental and mechanical stress tests at the CFV Solar Test Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This work was part of the Boston-based Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems' Plug-and-Play PV Project, funded by the Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative. The purpose of the Project is to develop a suite of technologies that make the process of buying, installing, and connecting rooftop solar energy systems faster, easier, safer, and less expensive.
By undergoing a series of tests, Giga Solar “demonstrates that our innovative PV modules can withstand the very tough conditions that modules experience on rooftops,” said Tom Hood, CEO and Founder of Giga Solar. “Giga Solar's modules weigh 60% less than traditional crystalline silicon modules, so in addition to the benefits of simpler and lower cost mounting, our reduced module weight decreases transportation costs and improves ease of handling.”
The glass-free and frameless design makes Giga Solar’s PV modules an ideal choice for rooftop solar projects as they are both lightweight and highly efficient compared with traditional modules. The modules can be flush-mounted directly onto the rooftop without needs for racking hardware so that they also help reduce installation preparations, time and costs.
Testing was performed in two categories - environmental and mechanical. The environmental tests were a modified subset of the IEC-61215 protocol, a PV module performance standard used by the solar industry worldwide. Environmental testing included hail impact + 50 thermal cycles, 1000 hours of damp heat exposure and 500 thermal cycles. The mechanical tests, including various bending and localized pressure tests, were custom designed by Fraunhofer CSE to simulate the forces a lightweight module would encounter during transportation and installation, according to Giga Solar.
