LG introduces 320 watt 60 cell panel

[DanKegel]

LG has refreshed their panel offerings; they now go up to 320 watts:

http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/solar-panels/lg-LG320N1C-G4/technical-specifications

http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/solar-panels/lg-LG310N1C-G4/technical-specifications

http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/solar-panels/lg-LG305N1C-G4/technical-specifications

(vs. the previous 305 watt panel,
http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/sola...specifications )

http://www.pv-magazine.com/services/press-releases/details/beitrag/lg-launches-enhanced-neon-2-solar-panel-in-us_100020223/

claims they'll be available in August.
A forum member already has a $3.49/watt installed quote using LG310's, so they really do seem to be coming on the market.

The new panels have a very slightly better temperature coefficient (but same power at NOCT, hmm) and longer warranty:

LG320N1C-G4: Pmp -0.38 %/°C, NOCT = 46 ± 3 °C, 234W at NOCT
LG305N1C-G4: Pmp -0.38 %/°C, NOCT = 46 ± 3 °C, 223W at NOCT
Warranty 12 years; 1) 1st year: 98%, 2) After 2nd year: 0.6%p annual degradation, 3) 83.6% for 25 years

LG305N1C-B3: Pmp -0.41 %/°C, NOCT = 45 ± 2 °C, 223W at NOCT
Warranty 10 years; 1) 1st year: 98%, 2) After 2nd year: 0.7%p annual degradation, 3) 81.2% for 25 years

I hear the longer warranty is partly due to a stiffer back panel; they're very slightly thicker and heavier,
and handle a larger mechanical load.
The higher efficiency may partly be from having thinner but more numerous wires on front (12 vs. 3).

[SunEagle]

Interesting. While only 60 cells that 320w panel has a Voc = 40.9 which comes to almost 0.7 volts per cell which are not bigger in size at 6 x 6 inch.

Using more wire on the surface (12 busbar) will harvest more electrons and increase eff a little but besides that are they using a different solid state material in the cells to get more current output than the 310w model?

[DanKegel]

Interesting. While only 60 cells that 320w panel has a Voc = 40.9...
Using more wire on the surface (12 busbar) will harvest more electrons and increase eff a little but besides that are they using a different solid state material in the cells to get more current output than the 310w model?

(I thought the old model only went up to 305W.)

I wouldn't be surprised if they tweaked the doping a little bit, but I'm sure it's just a set of small changes rather than any big new material.

The other tiny change I've heard of is that the 12 wires are rounded such that light reflects off of them
and onto the cell's surface instead of being lost. Talk about fine tuning...
It was mentioned here:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lg-launches-enhanced-neon-2-solar-panel-in-united-states-300112731.html

[SunEagle]

(I thought the old model only went up to 305W.)

I wouldn't be surprised if they tweaked the doping a little bit, but I'm sure it's just a set of small changes rather than any big new material.

The other tiny change I've heard of is that the 12 wires are rounded such that light reflects off of them
and onto the cell's surface instead of being lost. Talk about fine tuning...
It was mentioned here:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300112731.html

Back when I was involved with thin film research at the U of D the discussion was always around collecting more electrons with more wire mesh but not to block too much of the sun getting to the material. So I went off on a tangent and looked at reducing the sheet resistivity of the cell so that any electrons that were "freed" would move over to the busbar quicker and not be lost. We never got the efficiency up as high as we would have liked no matter what we did and then I graduated and moved on to power and control design for another company.

Ahh the fun of research.

[GsGoodwill]

LG introduces 320 watt 60 cell panel

Seems like a really low price per watt… If the panels are not damaged or junk, are they... hot? Caveat emptor

[lkruper]

Now LG up to 72 and 25 years.

http://www.newson6.com/story/30035984/lg-solar-introduces-high-performance-72-cell-solar-panels-for-commercial-installations