“It’s remarkable:” New 470W rooftop solar panel gains CEC approval, wows installers

China solar panel maker Aiko has announced that its cutting edge 470 watt residential rooftop module has been cleared for use in Australia, after achieving Clean Energy Council approval this week.

The CEC approval of Aiko’s Neostar 2P marks the first solar panel in stock in Australia to deliver that sort of power capacity in a standard residential module size – and this is not going unnoticed by the local industry.

“This is probably the only panel I have actually been excited about in the last 10 years (which is hard because I hate talking about solar panels),” Smart Commercial Solar founder and CEO Huon Hoogesteger said on LinkedIn on Friday.

As well as being 470W, the Neostar 2P delivers 23.6% efficiency within a compact format measuring just 1757 x 1134mm – the same size as most 430W or 440W panels on the market.

As Solar Juice co-founder Rami Fedda explains on LinkedIn here, this is no mean feat and signals that Australia’s “preferred solar panel watt class” is about to make a shift.

Fedda says the preferred residential rooftop PV module capacity has graduated steadily over the years, from 300W through to 440W, the module size that is currently most commonly used in residential systems.

But attempts to produce the next “watt class” up of 470/475W in a residential panel have foundered.

“Many have tried to accelerate this product to market, however due to Topcon technology current efficiency limitations, they could only achieve this watt class by adding an extra row of cells.

“This increased the length of the solar panel and also the weight,” he says on LinkedIn. “Which caused installers to push back due to the weight (too heavy) and length (limited rows of panels on homes).

Aiko, however, appears to have got around this problem, which it says is on account of its “cutting-edge N-type ABC technology” with back contact design.

“As a technology leader and Tier 1 module supplier, Aiko is setting a new standard in the industry by continually pushing the boundaries of what solar technology can achieve,” said Alex Hang Aiko’s head of APAC.

“Our innovations open doors for customers with limited roof space to go solar, empowering more people to contribute to a carbon-free era while maximising the benefits of solar energy.”

Aiko says its N-type ABC modules are also equipped with best-in-class shade optimisation technology and have passed rigorous hail testing under TÜV Rheinland’s VKF testing regime.

“Aiko is basically bundling all the market leading technology into one panel to create the highest performing, commercially sensible module in the market,” Hoogesteger adds.

“It doesn’t suit every market, and it costs a bit more, but it’s remarkable.”