Luckily, while we’re trying to explain half-cut solar panels, we don’t have to use complex jargons. They’re normal solar panels that have been cut in half. Normally rooftop solar panels have 60 solar cells, but when they’re cut in half, the rooftop panels will have 120 solar cells. This lowers the electrical resistance and improves the efficiency of your solar panels.
Let’s dive a little deeper into it's properties and decide whether its a better alternative to the usual solar panels or not:
Shade Resistance:
The major attraction of these solar panels is that they provide you with better shade resistance. Technically, it’s not directly because of the half cut solar cells but because of the fact that they’ve been wired together. Once you assemble them in a way that you have 6 string panels, you’re going to achieve a 30V that’s going to work even in partial shade. However, if you have a roof with significant shade, don’t expect great output.
Better Heat Resistance?
Of course, your solar panels will heat up because they've been exposed to the sunlight. But does it affect the overall output of a solar panel? We might not be able to call it more heat resistant, but this might be because of slightly higher efficiency of solar panels. Research is still being carried out on the subject and we’ll update you as soon as the researchers come up with concrete evidence on this subject.
Cost of Half Cut Solar Cells :
Half cut solar cells are considered to be expensive. The use of laser in cutting the solar panels is what makes it costly. The laser doesn’t entirely cut the solar panels into two, but puts a groove in the solar cells so that they can be snapped into two. They’re also expensive because they require soldering twice as many connections.
Now that we’re done explaining everything about the solar panels, let’s elaborate on one of the major downsides of the half cut solar panels. If you get a small defect in the half cut solar cells, it might affect the efficiency.
Despite its high-efficiency rate, half cut https://www.yellowlite.com/blogs/history-of-solar-energy-timeline-invention-of-solar-panels/ are available in only a few countries. Australia is one of the main countries which has acquired this new solar technology and by far it has an increased demand in the Australian market. Let's wait for more research on half cut solar cells to deduce whether they’re a good option or not.
