These are the new photovoltaic modules that Enel will manufacture in Catania

3SUNa company Enel Green Power Dedicated to the production of innovative PV modules with headquarters in Catania, Italy, it presented the world premiere of three new PV modules, M40, M40 BOLD and B60, during Expo Europe 2023 in Munich.

The units, which are scheduled to be introduced to the market in 2024, are based on 3SUN CORE-H, the heterojunction technology (HJT) that is entirely developed by 3SUN and is therefore 100% European. This technology ensures consistent levels of efficiency, performance, and reliability, superior to any product on the market, for both distributed and large-scale generation facilities.

He commented: “This is a new milestone for 3SUN materialized with the presentation to the solar energy industry of new photovoltaic modules to be produced at our Gigafactory in Catania”. Eliano Russo CEO of 3SUN Corporation.

characteristics

3SUN CORE-H combines crystalline silicon with layers of amorphous silicon to maximize the ability to extract energy from incident light and make solar modules more efficient, durable and competitive.

3SUN’s utility scale technology features a symmetrical cell design that enables a bifacial factor of 95%, which is approximately 20% higher than that of competitors, ensuring extremely high levels of efficiency and performance when capturing sunlight from both sides of the photovoltaic cell. It is no coincidence that in 2020 the company managed to break the world commercial cell efficiency record, reaching 24.63%.

In addition, 3SUN units are produced entirely in Italy, without the use of lead or fluorine, under the most stringent sustainability and circular standards. The production process uses lower temperatures, which enables 3SUN to offer customers a 30-year performance guarantee while maintaining performance above 91.8% after 30 years, which is much higher than the market standard.

The three new models

The units presented at Intersolar Europe 2023, the largest trade fair in Europe and one of the most important exhibitions in the world for the solar energy industry, have different characteristics for different uses and requirements, under a common motto of high efficiency, sustainability and innovation:

• 3Sun M40 a “basic” unit intended for residential and commercial/industrial rooftops, with a capacity of 440-480 watts and a design intended to keep installation costs to a minimum;
• 3SUN M40 Bold , a high quality product, also intended for buildings and in general for distributed generation, to maximize practical and aesthetic requirements. With a proven lifetime up to 3 times longer than IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards, a power of 430-470W and an efficiency of up to 24.5%, it delivers excellent performance and high energy efficiency in both latitudes. with hot summers and northern latitudes that are characterized by adverse climatic conditions, such as snow and wind, as well as low light;
• 3SUN B60 , a unit for the large sector with a capacity of 640-680 W and an efficiency of up to 24%. The glass configuration with a white grid between the cells allows for better light reflection, along with maximum energy performance in different locations and climatic conditions, thanks to low temperature coefficients and low annual degradation, for improved performance and LCOE (level cost of energy). A bifacial factor of 95% and materials together with anti-reflective coatings that reduce losses due to light reflection make the 3SUN B60 particularly suitable for large-scale systems installed primarily on the ground and on structures that can track the sun. production.

These three new products, which will be on the market from 2024, represent the first and great success of the research and innovation work of the 3SUN plant in Catania, which, together with CEA / INES (Institut National de la Solar), is also currently involved in the development of Tandem technology that combines the heterojunction with perovskites to expand the range of solar spectrum that can be converted into electricity. Tandem technology recently broke a record by achieving, in the research and development phase, a certified efficiency of 27.1% in a 9 square centimeter cell.

Tango, plant

The “TANGO” (iTaliAN Giga Plant) project will increase the current annual production capacity of the Catania plant from 200 MW to approximately 3 GW per annum through the initial development of HJT photovoltaic modules. Then Tandem technology will be implemented, greatly exceeding the current photovoltaic efficiency, achieving more than 30% and improving the reliability of the panel.

The expansion of 3SUN Gigafactory, which began in April 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2024, will consist of two phases: 400MW of operational capacity will be available from September 2023, while full operational capacity will be reached in July 2024. Tandem PV modules will be in the market As of the end of 2025.