Trina Solar, the global leader in integrated PV modules and smart energy solutions, is launching Vertex S, a technologically-advanced and reliable solar panel that has a higher power density and is ideal for Australia, a market that has been experiencing a boom in rooftop solar installations.
Australia’s residential solar market grew 15% last year, says Govind Kant, senior country sales manager at Trina Solar. “There was unprecedented growth in the residential market. More people were staying and working at home, so they were using more electricity. Australians really felt the impact of higher electricity prices and responded by opting to install rooftop solar to mitigate that,” says Kant.
He says governments in Australia have been helping too by encouraging households and businesses to install rooftop solar. There is a Federal Government subsidy for solar, referred to as the STC rebate, which is for solar systems up to 100kW. STC stands for small-scale technology certificate. Besides the Federal rebate, there are state subsidies. Kant says: “We anticipate Australia’s residential solar market will continue to grow this year by 8-10%.”
Trina Solar’s Vertex S is a new panel pitched at residential customers as well as small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial and industrial market. It will be available in Australia from April in all states and territories.
Trina Solar’s Vertex S Global Launch in Jinan China on 3 November 2020
Vertex S incorporates the new technologies found in Trina Solar’s high-power Vertex panels used in utility-scale projects. Vertex S panels, however, are smaller and lighter, making it easier to handle and install on the rooftops of homes and SMEs.
Trina Solar surveyed Australian installers to determine the most practical size and weight for panels. Findings showed that ideally, the panels need to weigh less than 23kg and be no longer than 1.8m for easy design and installation. The 390-405W Vertex S modules have a high energy density and are light weight – each weighs 21kg and are 1.75m long and 1.09m wide.
The size and weight make Vertex S easier to carry and install on Australian rooftops, says Kant. “Other high-efficiency panels are heavier and larger, making it harder to install and they may have a lower energy density than Trina Solar panels,” he says.
Trina Solar is introducing Vertex S into Australia in several power sizes to best meet the needs of Australian customers. “We have a 400W Vertex S module, a power output that maximizes the amount of Federal subsidies you qualify for. The Federal subsidies are for solar systems up to 100kW.” A 100kW system comprises of 250 panels at 400W each. “The typical residential system is 6.6kW, so we have a 390W Vertex S panel available,” says Kant.
The Vertex S has a maximum power efficiency of 21.1%, achieved by incorporating break-through technologies first applied to Trina Solar’s utility-grade Vertex solar panels. The new technologies include Trina Solar’s larger size wafers which are 210mm in diameter. Trina Solar Vertex series also incorporates new packing technologies that minimizes the space between each cell, further improving efficiency.
“The trend in Australia is that consumers are opting for more powerful systems, so we believe Vertex S will be very popular as it offers a higher power density,” says Kant. Vertex is proven and reliable technology, thanks to it already being used for solar farms in Australia.
Trina Solar offers an option where the Vertex S uses polyolefin elastomers (POE) instead of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) inside the module. Customers installing Vertex S in humid environments that are also very hot, such as parts of northern Australia, are recommended POE encapsulant.
Vertex S has been rated for snow load of 6,000 pascals for the front of the panel. For bottom up-lift, the wind load is rated for 4,000 pascals to cater for different installation methods in different wind zone requirements.
Vertex S panels comes with a 15-year warranty as standard that can be extended to 25 years upon request and evaluation.