high voltage low current solar panels

[winnie]

Mostly a curiosity question: common solar panels are built with a short circuit current of 10-15A and an open circuit voltage in the 30-50V range.

Are there any panels on the market that target lower current and higher voltage, say by using lots of 1/4 cut cells in series. Is a panel with an MPP point in the range of 2A and 200V available?

I know that this is certainly physically possible. But are any of you-all familiar with such a product available off the shelf?

Thanks
Jon

 

[jaggedben]

Thin film panels are like that but they have never made large inroads into behind-the-meter solar because they are less efficient. One time I worked with some Q-Cells (back when they were a German company) thin film panels that were like 90V and 4A. They were used with string inverters so the strings were just shorter.

Sunpower and the Sanyo/Panasoc HIT line also feature higher cell voltages so have reached somewhat outside the range you mention. If you're using micros or optimizers you generally need different models designed for a higher voltage MPPT window.

The market seems to be shifting to half-cells but paralleling them so that the voltage comes out about the same. For resi it's also shifting from a 60 cell format to a 66 cell format (or equivalent) which has raised voltages. But there were already micros and optimizers for 72 cell format so you just use those.

I don't see the benefit of raising module voltage. Maybe there could be inversion benefit with micros, but I don't see it with strings or optimizers. Also it runs up against simple rapid shutdown compliance.

 

[ggunn]

Mostly a curiosity question: common solar panels are built with a short circuit current of 10-15A and an open circuit voltage in the 30-50V range.

Are there any panels on the market that target lower current and higher voltage, say by using lots of 1/4 cut cells in series. Is a panel with an MPP point in the range of 2A and 200V available?

I know that this is certainly physically possible. But are any of you-all familiar with such a product available off the shelf?

Thanks
Jon

The Sunpower E20-330-COM module has Voc = 64.9V and Isc = 6.52A. That's the highest voltage module I have worked with.

 

[winnie]

Thanks.

I'm mulling actually building a 'virtual skylight' that I patented a while back. So interface with strings or inverters is not relevant. Rapid shutdown might be relevant, however.

The ideal setup is a solar panel where Isc matches the maximum operating current of the LEDs. Of course one can put LED junctions in parallel, but then you have issues of current sharing.

The Sunpower modules look close, but would still require at least 3 LEDs in parallel.

-Jon

 

[solarken]

Toledo Solar makes a Thin-film CdTe 80V, 1.7A panel, but they are only 115W to 120W.Model is TS2-115 or TS2-120. It technically would not meet rapid shutdown unless the AHJ is not worried about going slightly over 80V at low temps. It is frameless.

 

[winnie]

thanks. I didn't know about those units. They would be a perfect match current wise.

-Jon

 

[solarken]

thanks. I didn't know about those units. They would be a perfect match current wise.

-Jon

Sure, I forgot they come with clips for mounting. I consult for a company that is testing using them for parking canopies, but I don't have any direct experience with those modules.