Bifacial Solar Cells Made by SCHMID
Under the name GEMINUS the SCHMID Group now offers complete solutions for the production of bifacial solar cells. This cell type, in which both sides absorb light and generate electricity, produces an up to 30% higher yield with a suitable alignment than conventional cells. "Our GEMINUS cell concept is characterized by a lean process. We only use proven production equipment and can perform key processes such as doping very inexpensively. Therefore we are now able, as the only provider, to ensure a viable implementation for bifacial solar cells," explains Dr. Christian Buchner, Vice President of the PV business unit at the SCHMID Group.
Bifacial solar cells manufactured as mono-crystalline p-type at the SCHMID Technology Centre achieve efficiencies of 19.5% on the front side and 17.5% on the back side. With an optimal alignment of a bifacial cell system, the achievable increase of energy yield corresponds to an efficiency gain of 3.5%. Thus bifacial cells can generate an equivalent performance as the much more expensive high performance cells.
In addition, the BOS costs are significantly reduced with this cell type to $ 7 - 10 cents per Wp. SCHMID's GEMINUS technology is flexible and allows both the manufacturing of p-type and n-type cells.
To achieve the highest possible yield increase with bifacial systems, the orientation of the modules is particularly important. The incidence of diffuse light on the backside of the module is optimized by a highly reflective background surface that should be in sufficient distance to this. The bifacial cells are particularly suitable for use in solar parks or for elevated mounting on flat roofs.
