Shingled Solar Panel

In recent years, the market for solar modules significantly changed from more or less exclusively ribbon-based interconnection of full-square solar cells to a wide variety of cell formats and interconnection technologies that continuously increased power outputs. Shingled solar panel is one of them, in which overlapping cell strips across the panel are glued horizontally or vertically.

Shingle Cell Technology

Shingle solar panels are manufactured with shingling technology. Simply put, pre-cut crystalline silicon solar cells (shingles) are assembled into the solar modules on top of each other like tiles on a rooftop. Differently than standard solar modules, where solar cells are ribbon-attached and are interconnected to the ribbons via soldering, shingles are instead connected into strings with electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs).

Shingled solar panels are likely the rightmost limit of crystalline silicon solar development. Without the introduction of dual-junction processes, like heterojunction technology (HJT Solar Panel), which combines crystalline silicon with amorphous silicon thin-film to produce a high-power hybrid cell, a shingled module is the highest power and efficiency you can get with traditional, undoped crystalline silicon.

The main difference with other techniques is the aesthetic nature of shingled modules. The modules also look like panels of colored glass, an excellent approach for aesthetic building design and hence, the rooftop solar market.

Furthermore, like many other solar module advancements, shingling can be combined with glass-glass and bifacial techniques. Since more of the module can be covered by solar cells, shingling is a very suitable method for bifacial modules. More light can be absorbed, and ‘back-escape’ losses can be reduced, typically occurring when light passes through the gaps in traditional bifacial modules.

The Layout of Shingled Solar Panel

In a conventional solar module, solar cells are laid out across with spaces between them. They are electrically connected using copper busbars through high-temperature soldering processes. The more copper busbars used, the fewer resistance losses and the more efficient the electrical connection. However, having more busbars covering the cells means there are fewer solar cells exposed to sunlight, reducing the output of the cells.

While shingled cells are connected differently to conventional solar panels, there are no busbars required; cells can be joined together, resulting in no gaps between them. Typically, solar cells in conventional solar panels are wired in a series of strings, whereas the solar cells in shingled panels can be wired in a parallel configuration.

Advantages of Shingled Solar Panel 

In short, shingled solar panels produce more power, improve reliability, and are aesthetically pleasing.

Increased Power Density
The most significant advantage of the Coulee shingle solar panel is the increased energy output (with an output increase of possibly up to 15% over standard modules), as there is no inactive space between cells, and energy converting an active area of the module is maximized.

Increased Shade Tolerance 
Conventional solar panels have individual cells wired in series, so when a part of the solar panel is shaded, it can significantly affect the power output level. By configuring the solar cells in shingles, they can be wired in groups and configured in parallel, greatly reducing the losses caused by shading.

More Attractive
The use of ECAs instead of connecting ribbons makes the module surface look extremely smooth and aesthetically pleasant. 

Better Mechanical Performance
Static and dynamic load tests show that the shingle approach is more resistant to failure due to external forces being applied to the solar panel than conventional solar panels.

Reduced BOS Costs
The higher outputs combined with compact size results in higher module efficiency. This can significantly help reduce the balance of system (BOS) costs.

Coulee Shingled Solar Panel

When we began work on this new shingled solar panel, we considered every element that defines a perfect solar module, i.e., performance, reliability, heat resistance, PID, and price. We challenged ourselves to design a product that was innovative and radically different from any of our products before. The result of our R&D was the Sleek shingled modules.

The new Sleek shingled solar panel is a significant breakthrough in module innovation. To achieve a breakthrough, you must improve all aspects of the product, including its manufacturing. We teamed up with advanced equipment suppliers to develop a proprietary process and achieve unbeatable power output efficiencies. This ensures that you will receive a product with outstanding performance and obtain revenue for decades into the future.

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