Yingli Green has begun trial production of a new line of monocrystalline silicon solar modules that incorporate N-type metal-wrap-through (N-MWT) technology, the Chinese company announced yesterday.
Italian equipment specialist Forumla E designed, produced and supplied Yingli with equipment needed to make the modules, which has been installed at a Yingli module workshop for the production trials. The two companies have a strategic collaboration agreement in place.
Research and accreditation institute Fraunhofer ISE explains on its website that metal-wrap-through (MWT) solar cells have rear side interconnection. Metallised vias contact with the front grid, leading current onto the rear side. According to the institute, ohmic losses on the front side and shading are therefore reduced. Or in the simpler words of a Yingli Green statement announcing the news, N-MWT technology “reduces power loss in the module encapsulation process and improves cell efficiency by reducing the amount of metal applied to each solar cell, which exposes more of the solar cell's surface area to sunlight than with traditional monocrystalline technologies”.
Yingli Green vice president and technical director Wendy Hu said the company looked forward to “further optimising our manufacturing processes through joint efforts with leading PV equipment manufacturers, including Formula E”.