Meyer Burger Seals Tech Deal With Solar Module Maker

Meyer Burger Technology Ltd., a global technology company focused on solar photovoltaics, has inked a strategic agreement for its SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT) with an undisclosed international solar module manufacturer in Southeast Asia.

Meyer Burger will deliver and install the 200 MW SWCT manufacturing platform toward the end of this year. Commissioning and ramp-up of the SmartWire solar module production line for the customer – using heterojunction solar cells supplied by an external party – is planned for the first half of 2019.

Meyer Burger’s SWCT uses a foil-wire electrode with up to 24 aligned wires to connect solar cells. The company claims this reduces silver consumption per heterojunction solar module by over 50{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} – which, in turn, reduces production costs for solar module manufacturers. The resulting dense wire contact matrix enables SWCT modules to easily cope with the increased power extraction necessary for today’s high efficiency heterojunction solar cells – enabling energy yields of up to 20{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} to 30{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} more power per installed module in comparison to standard modules with PERC and PERT cell technologies, according to the company.