A Quantitative Comparison Between Double Glass Photovoltaic Modules Using Half-Size Cells and Quarter-Size Cells

Abstract

The use of half-size silicon (Si) wafer solar cells in photovoltaic (PV) modules can enhance the output power compared to full-size Si wafer solar cells. In this paper, an optimal combination of cutting parameters based on the cutting surface, the cutting repetitive time, and the parameters of the Nd:YAG nanosecond laser is achieved. The optimized method consists of a double cutting process on the aluminum back side of the solar cells. The optimized condition was identified with a laser cutting power of 16 W, a laser repetitive frequency of 40 kHz, and a scribing speed of 110 mm/s. Quarter-size Si wafer solar cells in PV modules were also investigated. We compared the output power of full-size, half-size, and quarter-size cells of a double glass transparent PV module quantitatively, finding cell-to-module values of 96.79%, 98.91%, and 99.73%. The total power gain of the half-size cell module and quarter-size cell module compared to the full-cell large-size PV module is 1.46% and 1.92%, respectively. Finally, electroluminescence measurements were carried out to test unconventional size cell PV modules.