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BFL13's avatar
BFL13
Explorer II
Jun 20, 2015

Solar-Low Light Performance

Been lots of posts about which kind of cell makes for best low-light output-amorphous, mono, or poly.

I have just stumbled across something quite different on that concerning the number of bus bars on a cell. (Google solar bus bars to see images etc)

Apparently there is a dispute or two about the true value of additional bus bars per cell where perhaps the bars themselves create shading, or whether you get more current if all you do is have four thin bars instead of two fat ones. I gather having more allows for shorter fingers paths which helps gather current. Not too clear to me.

Anyway, it is another aspect to the whole discussion I have not seen mentioned here.

EG you see advertising that four bars is good for low light which gets you more over-all daily total AH. EG this (AFAIK these are Canadian Solar panels rebranded as stated):

http://www.wegosolar.com/products.php?product=HES%252d260-Solar-Panel-260W
  • It could be voltage drop or having more points to collect the energy from the cell.
  • hmmm, like with so many things, it seems to be about reducing Rcircuit, and thus voltage drop.

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