»The Smarter E Europe«: Lightweight module with 150 watts from Sunman

Sunman (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. has added a 150-watt variant to its line of lightweight solar modules. The eArc SMF150M-6X05DB weighs just 2.6 kilograms, about 70 percent lighter than conventional modules. The dimensions are 1,023 by 889 millimeters, which corresponds to an area of 0.9 square meters and a weight per unit area of 2.9 kilograms per square meter. The efficiency is 17.6 percent. 30 monocrystalline solar cells of an unspecified type are used, the temperature coefficient of minus 0.38 percent per degree Celsius indicates PERC cells.
Sunman achieves the low weights of its modules by using a frameless design and, above all, completely replacing glass by composite materials. While the larger »eArc« modules are designed especially for low-load roofs, the small 150-watt version is well suited for mini-photovoltaic systems like »balcony solar«. The connectors are MC4 compatible. The manufacturer offers a twelve-year product warranty and a 25-year performance guarantee on 84.8 percent of the output power. Sunman founder Zhengrong Shi had also founded module manufacturer Suntech, which was at one point the largest module manufacturer in the world, but then ran into financial difficulties and was acquired by Shunfeng International Clean Energy in 2014 (booth no. C4.350).
© PHOTON