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Why Use Unisolar Modules? |
You, just like the rest of us, want the best deal you can get. You want the Best Quality Products, Best Sales Support and Service, and the Best Value. At Bekaert ECD Solar Systems, home of the UNI-SOLAR product line, we have worked very hard to offer buyers just this. Our products are designed to offer users High Performance, High Durability, and High Value at competitive prices.
Many of you are very familiar with Crystalline Solar Modules and the associated benefits and pricing. More and more of you are becoming familiar with UNI-SOLAR technology and the benefits and advantages that we bring to you and your clients. For those of you who haven't used our products or are working on hearsay from our competitors, do yourselves and your clients a favor, read on.
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Durability, Flexibility and Superior Performance in Partially Shaded Applications |
UNI-SOLAR modules are based on our proprietary Triple Junction Amorphous Solar Cell Technology. Our Triple Junction material goes far beyond the film technologies of old, it is both highly stable and efficient. Our manufacturing process is based on a roll to roll system, which uses a stainless steel film as the substrate upon which our cells are constructed. Each cell is then individually coated in an outer covering. This helps to increase the integrity and durability of the cell. Cells are then inter-connected and assembled into modules (similar to crystalline products) with laminate materials, which further increase the integrity and durability of the module. Our larger modules, 11 watts and higher, incorporate bypass diodes across each cell. This is a unique feature that allows our modules much better performance than those of our competitors in applications where partial shading is a problem. Our modules use Tefzel, a Teflon Polymer, because of its light emission and durability. Our entire process and choice of materials give our solar modules an inherent flexibility and durability unmatched by other solar modules.
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Great High Temperature and Low Light Performance |
Another great benefit of using UNI-SOLAR modules is the excellent performance at high temperatures. A number of independent studies have concluded that UNI-SOLAR technology far surpasses the competition in high temperature applications. For those of you who think this is not an issue in your area, try getting up on the roof with a thermometer on a 75-degree summer day and take a reading of the temperature of the surface of your roof. Take this one step further by looking at the performance IV curves for our competitors at and above 90 F. Now, when you get off the roof, take a look at the solar cell that runs your calculator. Yes, that is an amorphous cell. Amorphous technologies are excellent performers in low light level applications as well and our Triple Junction technology takes full advantage of this fact. Each of the junctions in our material are designed to work together to absorb more power in a wider band of light than any single junction material.
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Things you may have heard |
Many of you may have heard that amorphous materials degrade over time. While this has been true to certain amorphous materials, as well as other film technologies and crystalline, our Triple Junction materials are different. Our modules are rated based on their stabilized performance. What this means is that our modules go through an initial stabilization period when first installed. Once installed and "Light Soaked", modules stabilize and should perform at rated values over the life of the product. One fact to keep in mind, our modules are demonstrating less than 1/2 of 1% degradation after initial "Light Soaking". Compare that to the modules you may be more familiar with.
Some of you may be questioning the use of plastics in our modules, rather than the glass used in our competitors modules. While this is a good question, it is very apparent that plastics are being used more and more in high UV applications because the plastics industry has been able to address the issues with high performance and cost effective solutions. Take a look at much of the conduit being used these days, as well as siding and roofing materials. Another thing to keep in mind is that glass modules use some of the very same laminate materials that we use. These are proven products with good track records.
Another question, probably the most common question, is that of efficiency. While we agree that this is a measure of performance, it certainly isn't the highest measure of performance and more often than not it should be the last question on the list. For example, independent tests have concluded in a side-by-side test with a 90watt crystalline module that a UNI-SOLAR US-64 solar module put more amp hours into a battery on a hot day than did the competition. So, if our materials are rated an approximately 8% efficient and our competitor's product is rated at approximately 16% efficient, how did the US64 out-perform the 90watt competitor? Simple. Our product is not as effected by high temperatures and therefore continues to produce real usable power while the competition was on the ropes. Another way to look at this is to understand that module efficiency is derived from a laboratory standard "Flash Test", which is conducted under very specific laboratory conditions. While it is true that such conditions may be found in real life, it is much more likely that your solar array will suffer the extremes of our environment rather than the fixed environment of a laboratory test.
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In Summary |
UNI-SOLAR products are not a "Silver Bullet" for all of your PV projects. They are, however, an excellent addition to your current product line. We have no desire to stick square pegs in round holes and would encourage all module buyers to look at the customer's needs and choose those products which best suit the application. We believe that you will find an increasing number of projects where UNI-SOLAR in indeed the right "Peg" for the job.
Durable and Flexible, High Temperature Performance, Low Light Level Performance, Low Cost; these are the points to consider when comparing our modules with the competition. We encourage you to try our products for yourself and encourage you to contact your module supplier or our team if you have further questions about our company or our products.
Independent tests noted above: (copies available from your supplier)
1) September, 200 issue of Photon International; Netherlands Energy Research Foundation Study
2) October, 1998; Golden Genesis conducts side-by-side module "Shoot-outs" at several different locations.
3) A recent study from Australia confirms UNI-SOLAR performance under high temperatures.
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