Shipments of LONGi Solar’s high-efficiency bifacial modules have now reached 10 GW, with expectations that production will reach 12 GW by the end of the year.
Bifacial modules are a significant development in solar panel technology. Thanks to their low LID and high-efficiency, they are now on track to become the standard PV modules. In 2017, LONGi became one of the earliest suppliers to promote this technology with its Hi-MO2 bifacial module.
In 2018, with half-cut technology and bifacial cells, the Hi-MO 3 was launched. Earlier this year, the Hi-MO 5 bifacial module was launched – available to investors in utility-scale PV plants around the world. LONGi achieved mass production of bifacial modules based on PERC technology in 2017, applied in China’s Top Runner program. The company’s bifacial modules have since been widely installed around the globe, from a 390 MW project in Aswan, Egypt, to a 224 MW plant in Georgia.
LONGi’s internal research suggests that the market share for bifacial modules will grow. As production increases (meaning more available data and improved design), extra costs resulting from producing the backside of a bifacial module can be offset by the reduction in LCOE and improved profitability.
The Hi-MO 5 module is designed for ultra-large power stations – with a maximum power of 540 W and an efficiency of 21.1% – to deliver both performance and long-term reliability, notes the company.