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Canadian Solar announced that it will introduce a new, groundbreaking Diamond module at the upcoming Solar Power International (SPI) exhibition. The Diamond module is a Potential Induced Degradation (PID) free innovation and is more durable even in extreme environmental conditions.
"This Diamond Module, which will be officially launched in 2015, essentially enhances our customers' return on investment by decreasing system costs while improving energy yield," commented Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar.
Known as the double glass module, the Diamond module utilizes heat-strengthened glass instead of the traditional polymer backsheet. The Diamond module is PID free with anti-PID cells and encapsulated material. With no metal module frame, the Diamond glass module does not require grounding, thereby eliminating the cause of PID. In addition, the Diamond module has the ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including high humidity, high temperature, sandstorm, and ultraviolet (UV) conditions. Furthermore, the module's increased resistance to salt corrosion translates into a more robust and reliable solution for seaside/waterside PV system installation.
Rated for 1500V systems, the Diamond module significantly reduces Balance of System (BOS) costs by increasing modules in a string and decreasing the number of combiners, cables, and other system parts. The glass-on-glass cell encapsulation blocks moisture permeability, enhancing long-term system performance reliability. The first year annual power degradation is 2.5% and 0.5% each year afterwards. With that, module output at the 25th year is maintained at 85% versus the current 80%.