Future, with Numerous ASTRO

ASTRO N
Product White Paper

16

ASTRO N 产品白皮书

Contents
01 Background

01

02 ASTRO N Series Products

02

03 Technical Innovations

03

3.1 Core Technologies

03

3.2 n-TOPCon Cell Technology

04

04 Performance Advantages

06

4.1 Core Advantages

06

4.2 Bifaciality

07

4.3 Temperature Coefficient08

4.4 Operating Temperature09

4.5 Low-light Performance12

4.6 LID & LETID

13

4.7 Energy Yield per Watt

1405 Performance Assurance and Warranty

16

5.1 Reliability Assurance

16

5.2 Warranty

18

06 Customer Value

19

6.1 Transportation Cost

19

6.2 BOS and IRR - Residential and C&I Applications

20

6.3 BOS and LCOE - Utility Scale and Large C&I Applications

21

07 Future Prospect

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ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

01

PART

Background

Improving efficiency and reducing cost are not only the most important ways to reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of photovoltaic (PV) power generation, but also the driving force to promote the continuous progress oftechnology. As the basic unit for converting solar energy into electrical energy, solar cells directly determine the conversion efficiency of PV system and have a significant impact on the LCOE of power stations.The main method to improvethe conversion efficiency of solar cells is technical optimization or iteration.
The p-type PERC cell, which is the mainstream technology in the current industry, has been gradually approaching
its upper limit of conversion efficiency of 24.5% after continuous technical optimization, and the progress of efficiency
improvement has slowed down significantly. Therefore, the PV enterprises are accelerating to the iterative upgrading of
new cell technology. The higher efficient n-type cell technologies represented by TOPCon have become the important
directions of industry technology development due to their high potential for efficiency improvement and continuous
reduction of investment cost. In recent years, n-type cell technologies have developed rapidly and accelerated industrialization, which will have a broad market prospect. According to the authoritative industry forecast in the figures below,
p-type PERC is still the mainstream cell technology before 2025, however, n-type cells will develop rapidly and are
expected to replace p-type cells as the mainstream technology in five years.

n-typep-type(Source: International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic(ITRPV) 13th version, Mar. 2022)(Source: China PV industry development Roadmap of
CPIA 2021 version, Feb. 2022)

Trend in the market share of different solar cell technologies (2021~2030)

Astronergy has iteratively upgraded the ASTRO
series products over the years, and now after thein-depth research on n-type technology for several years
and the accumulation of industrial practice, Astronergy
officially launched the ASTRO N series, a new generationof PV modules in April 2022, initiating a new track for
n-type products.
ASTRO N improves the product performance in all
aspects compared with current mainstream products,
which can not only further reduce the LCOE of PV power
generation and bring more benefits to customers, butalso effectively promote the rapid development of the PV
industry and contribute to the transition of global clean
energy .

Future, with Numerous ASTRO

01

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

02

PART

ASTRO N Series Products

The ASTRO N series, including ASTRO N6 with 210mm wafer technologies, ASTRO N5 and ASTRO N5s with 182mm
wafer technologies, offer the new product solutions that perfectly suit for all scenarios such as utility scale, large commercial & industrial (C&I) and overseas residential rooftop applications, and meet the real requirements of various customers.
All series of products adopt standard size to achieve the convenience and maximum value of products in the application.
Bifacial double-glass ASTRO N5 PV module is now the mainly recommended product, which has 72 and 78 models.
With characteristics of large size and high power, ASTRO N5 is suitable for utility scale and large C&I distributed PV power
stations.ASTRO N5s has types of white modules and high-end black modules, and both have double-glass types. ASTRO
N5s series modules are suitable for residential PV rooftop due to characteristics of small size and light weight, aestheticalappearance and high efficiency.

Product Type

Utility Scale Application

ASTRO N5-78

Big C&I Application

ASTRO N5-72

ASTRO N5s
Overseas Rooftop
Application

ASTRO N5s（black）
Overseas Rooftop
Application

2465×1134×35

2278×1134×30

1722×1134×30

1722×1134×30

Maximum power (Pmax) [W]

630

580

440

430

Voltage at maximum
power point (Vmpp) [V]

46.45

43.11

32.61

32.27

Current at maximum
power point (Impp) [A]

13.56

13.45

13.49

13.33

Open-circuit
voltage (Voc) [V]

56.21

51.30

38.80

38.40

Short-circuit current (Isc) [A]

14.19

14.28

14.30

14.09

Module efficiency

22.5%

22.5%

22.6%

22.0%

Weight [kg]

34.7

32.1

21.3

21.3

80±5%

80±5%

/

/

Module dimension [mm]Bifaciality
Temperature coefficientof Pmax（γ-Pmp）-0.30%/°C

Temperature coefficientof Isc（α-Isc）+0.043%/℃

Temperature coefficientof Voc (β-Voc)-0.24%/℃

Warranty
Power attenuation warranty

12-years product warranty
30-years linear power warranty

12-years （15-years optional）product warranty
30-years linear power warrantyFirst year degradation≤1%, annual degradation≤0.4%

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03

PART

Technical Innovations

3.1 Core Technologies
ASTRO N not only adopts the advanced technologies of ASTRO 5 and ASTRO 6 series, such as large-size siliconwafer, multi-busbar (MBB), half-cut, non-destructive cutting, high-density encapsulation and double-layer coatings glass,but also incorporates the latest R&D innovations of Astronergy in high-efficiency n-TOPCon cell technology, the n-typehigh quality silicon wafer and the optimized frame. All of these technologies make ASTRO N more competitive.

Electrode
Passivation layer stackp+ Emittern-type Si

Tunnel oxide
n+ poly
Passivation layer stackn-TOPCon Solar Cells

M10n-type Large-size Wafer

Multi-busbar + Half Cut

Non-destructive Cutting

High-density

Water vapor

Upper coating
Bottom coating

Silicon dioxide
layer withhollow sphereDense silicon
dioxide layer

Glass substrate

Double-layer
High Transparency Glass

Optimized Frame

Core Technologies of ASTRO N

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3.2 n-TOPCon Cell Technology
ElectrodeMulti-layer anti-reflection
coatings

Passivation layer
p-type emittern-type Si

n-type wafer
Tunneling oxide layer
n+ poly-silicon layer
Anti-reflection coating

Cell structure of TOPConn-TOPCon refers to the tunnel oxide passivated contact technology on n-type silicon wafer. The cell structure isshown in the figure above. The front surface is essentially the same as that of the conventional n-PERT cell, the maindifference is that an ultra-thin tunneling silicon oxide (SiO2) layer and a thin highly doped polysilicon layer are depositedon the rear of the TOPCon cell. According to the quantum tunneling effect, the SiO2 layer with a thickness of 1~2nm can
not only allow electrons to pass through smoothly, but also prevent the recombination of holes. The passivation contact
structure formed by SiO2 layer and doped polysilicon layer can effectively reduce the surface recombination and metal
contact recombination, thereby improving the open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) of the cells.

Electron

EC
EF

EV
Hole

n+ poly-silicon layern-type silicon substrate

Tunneling oxide layerBand structure of TOPCon tunneling layer. The ultra-thin SiO2 layer allows the majority carriers (photoelectrons)in the n-type silicon wafer to tunnel into the polysilicon layer, and blocks the minority carriers (photoholes) fromcrossing the interface, thus significantly reducing the interface recombination

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ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

PERC needs laser grooving on the back of the cell so that the aluminum on the rear can contact the silicon wafer toform a conductive path. However, the laser grooving not only increases the process steps and manufacturing cost, butalso destroys the passivation effect of the grooved area. In contrast, TOPCon no longer needs laser grooving because
the silver electrode on the rear can directly penetrate the rear anti-reflection (AR) coating and contact the doped polysilicon layer to form a good conductive path. Therefore, TOPCon can effectively improves the cell efficiency by passivating
the entire rear side of the cell, meanwhile, it avoids the damage of the silicon wafer by the laser, which enables the useof thinner wafer.
The refractive index (n) of silicon wafer (n≈3.8) is quite different from that of the encapsulation film (n≈1.5). In orderto reduce the reflection of sunlight at the interfaces, two- or three-layer silicon nitride (SiNx) AR coatings are commonlyused in conventional cell processes, but these structures still cannot make full use of the physical and chemical propertiesof the films.

On the basis of TOPCon technology, a new multi-layer AR coatingsprocess is also used in Astronergy n-type cell, further improves opticalutilization, and effectively improves aesthetic appearance of the productA

B
As shown in the figure below, the stacked structure iscomposed of silicon oxide (SiOx)/silicon oxynitride (SiONx)/SiNx multi-layer films, and the refractive index of each layer isdifferent. The refractive index of the entire structure gradually
increases from the outer surface to the inner layer; therefore,
the multi-layer AR coatings are fully optically matched with theencapsulation film and the silicon wafer to achieve a betteranti-reflection effect.

Meanwhile, the surface color of
TOPCon cell is darker and more uniform
after adopting the multi-layer AR coatingsprocess, which greatly alleviates the problem of color difference inside the cell andbetween cells, resulting in a high aesthetic
appearance of ASTRO N series.

air=n0=1

Encapsulant film=n2=1.47~1.5
SiOx=n3=1.6
SiONx=n4=1.85
SiONx=n5=2.0
SiNx=n6=2.10
SiNx=n7=2.20
SiNx=n8=2.35
Silicon substrate
Si=n9=3.80

Structure of the multi-layer AR coatings
on the front side of TOPCon cell

Front
Multi-layer Anti-reflection Coatings

PV glass=n1=1.5

Rear

Front and rear views of TOPCon cell05

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

04

PART

Performance Advantages

4.1 Core Advantages
Integrating several advanced cell and module technologies of Astronergy, the ASTRO N series has the characteristics of high module power, high module efficiency, high energy yield per watt, high reliability and high aesthetic appearance, which can provide customers with a higher performance/price ratio option.

Higher Performance/Cost Ratio
Lower BOS cost and LCOEHigh Module Power
Up to 630W/580W
Higher than PERC 15~30W

High Module Eff 22.5%+
High eff cellHigh density design

High Energy Yield
Gain of 3.5%+ than PERC
Higher bifaciality(80%)
Better temperature coefficient(-0.30%/°c)

High Reliability
Lower LID & LETID
Better product warranty
1st year degradation ≤1.0%
Annual degradation ≤ 0.40%

High Aesthetic
ASTRO N5-78
ASTRO N5s

More consistent cell color
Better product appearance

ASTRO N5-72

Core Advantages of ASTRO N

Compared with the PERC module which is the mainstream product in the current market, ASTRO N has moreadvantages in terms of bifaciality, temperature coefficient, operating temperature, low-light performance, LID and LETID,
etc., all of which are the key factors that directly affect the power generation of the module.
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4.2 Bifaciality
Bifaciality is the percentage of rear-side power to front-side power tested under standard test conditions (STC),
which is an important parameter to characterize the performance of bifacial modules. ASTRO N adopts the TOPCon
bifacial cells of Astronergy. While ensuring the high efficiency of the front side, the TOPCon cells is also improved theefficiency of rear side by optimizing the rear films and rear grid fingers design. Therefore, the bifaciality of ASTRO N is up
to 80% which is about 10% higher than that of the conventional PERC module.
The energy yield gain of the bifacial module is not only affected by the bifaciality of the module itself, but also by
the irradiance on the rear side (Gr). The Gr is related to ground reflectivity, environmental irradiance and real installation
condition. In a project site, the higher the ground reflectivity, the larger the Gr. The Gr under the bifacial nameplate irradiance (BNPI) and the bifacial stress irradiance (BSI) as defined in IEC 61215:2021 standard are 135 W/m2 and 300W/m2,
respectively.
According to the measurement of current-voltage characteristics of bifacial modules described in the IEC TS
60904-1-2 standard, the equivalent irradiance (GE) is expressed as follows:

GE=1000+Bifi×Gr=1000× ( 1+Bifi×

Gr
P rear) ∝Pfront ×（1+)
1000
P front

Where 1000 represents the irradiance under STC, Bifi is the bifaciality of the module, Pfront is the front-side power under
STC, and Prear is the rear-side power under the real Gr. Therefore, the bifacial gain ( Prear / Pfront）can be approximately represented by Bifi×(Gr/1000) , which represents the gain in the rear-side power of the bifacial module compared with thefront-side power.
PERC

Gain (ASTRO N- PERC)

Gr

Bifacial gain (Bifi× 1000 )

60%

5.00%

3.50%

40%

6%

4%

2.00%
20%

1.00%

1.35%

2%

Difference in gain

ASTRO N

0%

0%
Grass
15~20%

Dry land
20~33%

Sand
20~40%

Concrete
30~50%

Snow
55~85%

Ground and reflectivity
Comparison of bifacial gain between ASTRO N and PERC module under different ground

The above figure shows the comparison of the bifacial gain between ASTRO N and PERC bifacial modules in theapplication scenarios of grass, dry land, sand, concrete and snow with different ground reflectivity. Compared with PERC
module, the significant advantage of bifaciality increases the bifacial gain of ASTRO N by 1~5%, and the maximum gain
is in the fresh snow scenario with the highest reflectivity. Therefore, when the ASTRO N series modules are applied to the
PV power stations located on the ground with high reflectivity, the excellent bifaciality of ASTRO N can be more fully
utilized to achieve higher power output.
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ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

4.3 Temperature Coefficient
The temperature coefficient is the rate at which the physicalproperties of a material or device change with temperature,
which can be used to directly compare the performance ofvarious products in high temperature environment. The power
output of crystalline silicon modules is negatively correlated withtemperature, indicating that the Pmax temperature coefficient isnegative. Meanwhile, the operating temperature of outdoor PV
modules is generally much higher than the temperature under
STC (25°C). Therefore, there is some loss of module power at highoperating temperatures.
The ASTRO N series show excellent characteristic in terms oftemperature coefficient. Certified by the third-party authoritative
organization UL, the Pmax temperature coefficient of ASTRO N is
only -0.30%/°C, which is significantly better than that of thep-type PERC module of -0.35%/℃. This is due to the highopen-circuit voltage characteristic of the TOPCon cells used,which reduces the temperature sensitivity of ASTRO N modules.

-0.30%/℃

Relationship between the output power of
ASTRO N and the temperaturetemperature coefficient of ASTRO N is only
-0.30%/℃ tested by UL.

For comparison, it is assumed that the module powers of ASTRO N and PERC are the same under STC, both ofwhich are 570W as shown in the following figure. When the operating temperature is higher than 25℃, the output powerof ASTRO N is higher than that of PERC. Moreover, the higher the operating temperature, the greater the power gain of
ASTRO N over PERC. For example, when the operating temperature is 60℃, the real output power of ASTRO N is 10W
higher than that of PERC, and the power gain is 2%. Therefore, the better temperature coefficient of ASTRO N can bring
the higher power generation revenue and improve the profitability of power stations, especially in the high temperatureapplication scenarios.
15%

600

Module power (W)

550

570

561
560

ASTRO N (-0.30%/°C)
553
550

544
540

500

536
530

PERC (-0.35%/°C)
527

520

519

510

510

500

502

490

450

400

350

0.0%

0.3%

0.5%

0.8%

1.1%

25

30

35

40

45

1.4%

1.7%

2.0%

50

55

60

2.3%

493

480

2.7%

485

470
3.0%

12%

476

460

9%

6%

3.4%
3%

Power gain of ASTRO N

570

0%
65

70

75

80

Operating temperature(℃)

Assuming that ASTRO N and PERC module have the same power of 570W under STC, their real
powers and the power gain of ASTRO N at different operating temperatures

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4.4 Operating Temperature

ASTRO N80

Temp. difference (ASTRO N- PERC)

PERC

0

-0.4
-1.2

60

-1

-1.4
-1.7

-1.7

-1.8
-2.2

40

-1.9

-2.2

-2.1

-2.3

-2

-3

20

-4

0
2-Jul

3-Jul

4-Jul

5-Jul

6-Jul

7-Jul

8-Jul

9-Jul

10-Jul11-JulTemperature difference (℃)

Actual operating temperature ( ℃)

Because of its high photoelectric conversion efficiency, ASTRO N can convert more solar energy into electricity, while
radiating less thermal energy accordingly. Therefore, ASTRO N has a lower operating temperature than PERC module inpractical power station applications.
At the outdoor demonstration power station of Astronergy located in Haining, Zhejiang province, China, the operating temperatures of ASTRO N and PERC modules were monitored and compared during the summer high temperature
period in early July 2021. It was found that the real operating temperature of ASTRO N was about 1.6°C lower than thatof PERC modules on average.
According to the analysis of different times on a typical sunny day, the advantage of lower operating temperatureof ASTRO N was more noticeable when the irradiance was high.

12-JulDate
Comparison of the real operating temperature between ASTRO N and PERC modules in summer(Daily average temperature from 7:00~17:00)
Irradiance

100

1200

80

900
PERC
600

60
ASTRO N

20:12:32

20:37:32

19:22:35

19:47:32

18:23:10

18:52:51

17:33:10

17:58:10

16:43:10

17:08:10

15:48:29

16:18:10

14:58:29

15:23:28

14:08:29

14:33:29

13:18:29

13:43:29

12:14:41

12:53:28

11:24:41

11:49:41

10:29:41

10:59:41

09:39:41

10:04:41

08:40:00

09:10:00

07:45:00

08:15:00

06:50:00

07:20:00

0
05:55:00

20
06:25:00

300

05:00:0440

05:30:00

Temperature (℃)

Ambient temp.

Irradiance (W/㎡)

Operating temp. of PERC

Operating temp. of ASTRO N

TimeComparison of the real-time operating temperature between ASTRO N and PERC modules on a typical sunny day.
The advantage of lower operating temperature of ASTRO N was more prominent at 9:30~16:00

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ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

The advantage of lower operating temperature of ASTRO N was also confirmed by the third-party demonstration power stations.
At the outdoor demonstration base of China Building Material Test & Certification Group (CTC) located in
Hainan province, China, the average operating temperature of ASTRO N was 0.5℃ lower than that of PERC modules during the relatively low temperature period from January to March. The maximum temperature difference
reached about 1°C when the irradiance was high at noon.

PERC

0.3

70

0

60

-0.3

50

-0.6

40

-0.9

30

-1.2

20

-1.5

10

-1.8

0

Temperature difference (℃)

Temp. difference (ASTRO N-PERC)

80

-2.1

15-Jan22-Jan29-Jan5-Feb

12-Feb

19-Feb

26-Feb

5-Mar

12-Mar

19-MarDate
Comparison of the real operating temperature between ASTRO N and PERC
modules at the outdoor demonstration base of CTC located in Hainan

ASTRO N

PERC

40

35

Temperature (℃)

Actual operating temperature (℃)

ASTRO N

30

25

20

15
5:00 AM

8:00 AM

11:00 AM

2:00 PM

5:00 PM

8:00 PMTime
At the outdoor demonstration base of CTC located in Hainan, the comparison of the real-time operating
temperature between ASTRO N and PERC modules on a typical sunny day. When the radiance is high at noon,
the advantage of lower operating temperature of ASTRO N was more prominent,
and the maximum temperature difference was about 1°C

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At the outdoor demonstration base of TÜV Nord located in Yinchuan, Ningxia autonomous region, China, theaverage operating temperature of ASTRO N was 0.9℃ lower than that of PERC modules from March to early May. The
temperature difference reached its maximum at noon every day when the irradiance was high.
Temp. difference (ASTRO N- PERC)

PERC

0.0

80

-0.5

70
60

-1.0

50

-1.5

40

-2.0

30

-2.5

20

-3.0

10

-3.5

Temperature difference (℃)

Actual operating temperature (℃)

ASTRO N

-4.0

025-Mar30-Mar

4-Apr

4-Apr

14-Apr

19-Apr

24-Apr

29-Apr

4-May

Date
Comparison of the real operating temperature between ASTRO N and PERC modules
at the outdoor demonstration base of TÜV Nord located in Ningxia

ASTRO NPERC

Ambient temperature

Temperature (℃ )

50
40
30
20
10
0

-10
6:00 AM

9:00 AM

12:00 PM

3:00 PM

6:00 PM

9:00 PMTime
At the outdoor demonstration base of TÜV Nord located in Ningxia, the comparison of the real-time
operating temperature between ASTRO N and PERC modules on a typical sunny day. When the radiance washigh at noon, the advantage of lower operating temperature of ASTRO N was more prominent.

In conclusion, all the measured data from several demonstration power stations in different climates indicate thatthe operating temperature of ASTRO N is lower than that of PERC modules, and the higher the temperature, the greater
the temperature difference. Due to the negative temperature coefficient of Pmax, the lower operating temperature
characteristic of ASTRO N can bring higher power output and directly increase the energy yield gain of the power
stations!

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4.5 Low-light Performance
ASTRO N

PERC

101%

Relative efficiency compare with STC

The nominal power of PV
module is the test value under STC.
However, the real irradiance of
outdoor power stations is usually
lower than STC of 1000W/m² in
most of the time. The module
efficiency under low irradiance will
have a certain loss compared with
under STC, which is called the
low-light performance. After being
tested by the third-party organization UL, the low-irradiance performance of ASTRO N is 97.8% at
200W/m2, which is 1% higher thanthat of PERC module. This
indicates that ASTRO N has better
low-light performance.

100.0%
99.6%

100%

100.2%
100.1%

100.0%

800

1000

99.7%

99%
97.8%

98%

100.0%

98.6%

97%
96%

96.3%

95%

200

400

600

Irradiance (W/㎡)
Relative efficiency of ASTRO N and
PERC module as a function of irradiance

ASTRO NPERC

1.4
ASTRO N

Energy yield (KWh/KW)

1.2

1.0
PERC

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
2:24

4:48

7:12

9:36

12:00

14:24

16:48

19:12

Time
Comparison of the energy yield between ASTRO N and PERC modules
on a typical sunny day. ASTRO N also shows better power generation
performance in the morning and evening

21:36

As shown in the figure on theleft, the power generation of ASTRO
N and PERC modules in a power
station is compared on a typicalsunny day. It is found that ASTRO N
is superior to PERC modules inenergy yield per watt in the morning, noon and evening, especially inthe case of low-light conditions in
the morning and evening, ASTRO N
also shows better power generation
capacity, which is benefited from thebetter low-light performance of
ASTRO N.
In short, ASTRO N not only has
high energy yield under STC, butalso has good power generation
performance under low irradiancesuch as cloudy days. This can guarantee the energy yield of the power
station.

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4.6 LID & LETID
The power degradation under illumination is one of the important characteristics of module reliability, including light
induced degradation (LID) and light and elevated temperature induced degradation (LETID). Both of these degradations
are generated by light irradiation, but their degradation mechanisms are different. LID is mainly due to the formation ofB-O complex defects by oxygen (O) and boron (B) in the silicon wafer, which reduces the minority carrier lifetime andleads to power attenuation. The mechanism of LETID is not yet completely clear, at present the widely accepted explanation is the hydrogen induced degradation (HID). The hydrogen bonds of passivating impurities and defects are easily
destroyed by high temperature and light exposure, which induce the formation of recombination centers and lead todegradation. LETID is accelerated at high temperatures.
ASTRO N -LID

The LID and LETID of PERC module are
reduced to relatively low values by improving thequality of silicon wafer and optimizing the cell
technology and process. But in contrast, ASTRO N
has lower LID and LETID than PERC due to its highefficiency cell technology and high-quality n-typesilicon wafer, which not only eliminates the LID
caused by B-O complex defects, but also has ahigher minority carrier lifetime and a higher
tolerance to metal impurities.

Irradiation (KWh/㎡)

90

As shown in the figures, the LID of ASTRO N
is only 0.01% after exposure of 90KWh/m2, which isalmost negligible. The power of ASTRO N was notattenuated after LETID tested by PI Berlin method.
Even after three times of the LETID test, the attenuation was still only 0.39%.

99.99%

80

100.32%20

100.21%0

100.00%

99.0%

99.5%

100.0%

100.5%

Relative eficiency
LID of ASTRO N is only 0.01% after light exposure of 90 kWh/㎡
Test conditions:
irradiance of 1000W/㎡, connected load with current of ImppLETID

ASTRO N - LETID

3x99.61%

2x99.62%

Due to higher reliability,
lower LID and LETID,

1x100.27%

ASTRO N can provide better prouct
power warranty than PERC module.

99.0%

99.5%

100.0%

100.5%

Relative eficiency
Attenuation of ASTRO N is only 0.39% after triple PI Berlin LETID tests
LETID - PI Berlin method:
75±3℃, first connect a current of 1A for 162 hours, then 10A for another 162 hours

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4.7 Energy Yield per Watt
In summary, ASTRO N has the advantages of higher bifaciality, better temperature coefficient, better low-light
performance, lower operating temperature, and lower LID and LETID than PERC module. These key features ensure thehigher energy yield of ASTRO N.
In the power station mounted on fixed racking in Haining, Zhejiang province, China, an outdoor empirical comparison has been carried out for more than one year. The data shows that the energy yield per watt of ASTRO N is about
3.57% higher than that of PERC modules, and the gain even exceeds 4.5% in summer!
PERC

ASTRO N gain

6%

12
4.89%

5%
4%

4.59%

4.79%

4.61%

3.70%

4.95%

3.69%

8

3.24%
2.70%

3%

10

2.53%

2.60%

6

2.08%

2.04%

2%

4

1%

2

0%

0
Apr-21

May-21

Jun-21

Jul-21

Aug-21

Sep-21

Oct-21

Nov-21

Dec-21

Jan-22

Feb-22Mar-22

Energy yield ( KWh/KW）

Energy yield gain of ASTRO N

ASTRO N

Apr-22Month

Comparison of the normalized energy yield per watt between ASTRO N and PERC modules at theoutdoor demonstration base of Astronergy located in Haining

PER
C
AST

RO
N

Real view of the outdoor demonstration base of Astronergy
120°18 '-120°52' E, 30°15 '-30°35' N
fixed racking, tilt:20°, ground clearance:1.2m

14ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

At the demonstration bases of CTC and TÜV Nord located in Hainan and Ningxia respectively, ASTRO N also shows
better power generation performance. Compared with PERC modules, the average energy yield gains per watt of ASTRO
N are 3.82% and 3.07% in the hot-humid climate of Hainan and the dry climate of Ningxia, respectively.
In conclusion, several empirical results consistently show that ASTRO N has superior power generation performance
to PERC in most application scenarios.
PERC

ASTRO N gain

6%

12

5%

10

4%

8

3%

6

2%

4

1%

2

0%

Energy yield ( KWh/KW）

Energy yield gain of ASTRO N

ASTRO N0
15- Jan22- Jan29- Jan

5-Feb

12-Feb

19-Feb

26-Feb

5-Mar

12-Mar

19-MarDate
Average energy yield per watt of ASTRO N is about 3.82% higher than that of PERC modules at thedemonstration base of CTC located in Hainan

PERC

ASTRO N gain

6%

12

5%

10

4%

8

3%

6

2%

4

1%

2

Energy yield ( KWh/KW）

Energy yield gain of ASTRO N

ASTRO N00%25-Mar30-Mar

4-Apr

9-Apr

14-Apr

19-Apr

24-Apr

29-Apr

4-May

Date
Average energy yield per watt of ASTRO N is about 3.07% higher than that of PERC modules at theoutdoor demonstration base of TÜV Nord located in Ningxia

15

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

05

PART

Performance Assurance and Warranty

5.1 Reliability Assurance
In addition to the advanced technology, another important characteristic of the ASTRO N series is high reliability.
From the beginning of the design, we strictly follow the product development system for quality control, and ensure thatall design risks can be fully assessed and avoided through product design assurance, process quality control, inspection
and monitoring, etc.
As shown in the figure below, the power attenuations of ASTRO N are only 0.4%~1.4% in various IEC standard aging
tests, and the key items such as TC, PID and DH have even passed multiple strict tests. All these results fully verify thehigh reliability of ASTRO N.

Power attenuation

5%

4%

3%

2.8%

2.9%

DH2000

PID300

3.1%

2.2%
2%

1.4%

1.3%

1%

0.7%

0.7%

0.4%
0%
TC200

PID96

DH1000

UV15+TC50+HF10

TC400

PID192

2×IEC

1×IEC

DH30003×IEC

ASTRO N shows excellent performance in various IEC standard and multiple aging tests

On the basis of adopting non-destructive cutting and MBB technologies that can improve reliability, ASTRO N further strengthens the mechanical property by improving the aluminum material, optimizing the section
design of frame and enlarging the vertical cavity. After the static mechanicalload test of 5400Pa positive load and 2400Pa negative load under four-point
mounting with clamps, the power attenuation of ASTRO N5 is only 0.12%,
and there is no virtually crack shown in EL image.
The results confirm that the large-size products of ASTRO N also haveexcellent mechanical properties and fully meet the requirements ofmechanical load under various installation conditions.

beforeBeforebefore

afte

After

after

EL images of ASTRO N5 before andafter the mechanical load test

16

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

ASTRO N has excellent product performance in high temperature environment as described previously, meanwhile,
the reliability at high temperature has been also fully evaluated in accordance with IEC TS 63126:2020. According totemperature level 1 of the standard, the module temperature is 10°C higher than that of the IEC61215 standard in theprocess of strict high temperature aging test.

The results certified by the third-party
organization UL show that
ASTRO N5 still has excellent UV stability andhot spot endurance at high temperature

The UV test is performed by increasing the temperature to 60℃, bothmonofacial and bifacial modules of ASTRO N5 have passed the durability test at
high temperature with UV irradiation up to 120KWh/m2. The attenuation ofmodule power is 1.9%~2.33% and there is no problem of appearance quality.
After the high temperature hot spot test at the module temperature of
70°C, the power attenuation of ASTRO N5 monofacial and bifacial modules are
only 0.16% and 0.21%, respectively, and the average hot spot temperatures are
136°C and 142°C, respectively.

180

4%

Temperature (℃)

Power degradation

5%

3%
2.33%
1.90%

2%
1%
0%

Monofacial

Bifacial

High temperature -UV (60+60)KWh/㎡

0.16%

0.21%

Monofacial

Bifacial

High temperature-hot spot

Power attenuation of ASTRO N5 after hightemperature aging tests

160

140

142
136

120

100

Monofacial

Bifacial

High Temperature-Hot Spot

Average hot spot temperature of ASTRO N5
during high temperature hot spot test

ASTRO N successfully passed the strict high temperature aging tests, which verifies that
ASTRO N also has excellent reliability and stability even in high temperature environmentand demonstrates the "high temperature value" of ASTRO N.

17

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

5.2 Warranty
Based on the excellent characteristics of the products and the strict quality and reliability assurance system of Astronergy, ASTRO N series provide the industry-leading warranty: 12 years product and workmanship warranty and 30 years
power warranty; the power degradation in the first year is ≤1%, and the annual linear power degradation is ≤ 0.4%.

25 years later

30 years later

PromiseThe power of ASTRO N is not lower

ASTRO N guarantees a final power

than 89.4% of the rated power, which

output at least 87.4% of the rated

is 4.6% higher than that of the PERC

power, which is 2.5% higher thanmonofacial module with a 25 years

PERC bifacial module.

power warranty

The better warranty ensures that ASTRO N has superior power generation performance throughout the lifetime ofthe power stations which can generate more clean energy, and the sustainability of low-carbon characteristic of ASTRO
N is also guaranteed.

30years
Power Warranty

100%

Guaranteed power performance98%

12years
Product and Workmanship Warranty99%

 1st year degradation ≤1%

98%

ASTRO N96%

 Annual degradation ≤0.4%

94%
92%
90%
88%
86%

Monofacial

Bifacial

89.4%
87.4%

p-PERC
84.8%

84%

84.95%

82%
80%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30（years）

Leading product and power warranty of ASTRO N

18

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

06

PART

Customer Value

6.1 Transportation Cost
Due to the higher module power characteristic, ASTRO N has more freight capacity of power than the same sized
PERC module under the same transportation condition, therefore, the transportation cost per watt of ASTRO N is lower.
Taking ASTRO N5 bifacial module as an example. In addition to the high module power characteristic, ASTRO N5
adopts the latest frame design, which not only ensures the high reliability of product, but also allows more modules tobe placed in each pallet. Therefore, ASTRO N5 can effectively reduce the transportation cost.

USA and Europe (40HC container)
Considering the weight limit of trucks, the loading power of ASTRO
N5 per container is 22KW~29KW higher than that of the PERC 182 modules, an increase of 6.9%~8.3%. The ocean freight cost of ASTRO N5 canbe saved by 0.6~0.7 fen RMB per watt.
China (17.5m flatbed truck)
The loading power of ASTRO N5 per truck is 36KW more than that of
the PERC 182 modules, an increase of 7.4%, and the land freight cost per
1,000 kilometers is reduced by about 0.1 fen RMB per watt.
It can be seen that the transportation costs of ASTRO N in different countries and regions are reduced compared with PERC. In case ofrising ocean freight cost, ASTRO N module's advantage of lower
transportation cost will be more prominent.

ASTRO N5 - 575W gain

600

+36 KW 7.4%

500
400

+29 KW

8.3%

300
200

PERC 182-555W+22 KW 6.9%

344

310

482

Europe -40HC

USA-40HC

China -17.5m
flatbed truck

100
0Comparison of the loading power per container or truck
between the ASTRO N5 bifacial modules and the p-type 182
bifacial 555W modules(Weight limit: Europe, USA and China are 22, 19.5 and 30.5 tons, respectively)

Freight cost (fen RMB/W)

Module power per
container/ truck (KW)PERC 182-555W

ASTRO N5 - 575W

12
9

10.2
8.3

9.5

0.7分/W

7.7 0.6分/W

6
3
0

1.9
Europe -40HC

USA-40HC

1.7 0.1分/W

China -17.5m
flatbed truck

Comparison of the freight costs to different countries and regions
between ASTRO N5 and p-type 182-555W modules(Benchmark: the freight costs per 40HC container from China to USA and Europe
are 4,500 and 4,100 US dollars, respectively, and the freight cost for 1,000
kilometers in China is 9,000 CNY per truck. 1 fen RMB = 1/7 cent)19

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

6.2 BOS and IRR - Residential and C&I Applications
The balance of system (BOS) cost refers to the system cost excluding photovoltaic modules, including the costs ofmain equipment such as inverters, mounting structure, cables and electrical equipment, as well as the other related costs
such as land, installation and construction, project design and acceptance, etc. The BOS costs in different countries andregions have different proportions in the cost of the whole PV system, which is lower in China and higher in Europe andAmerica. In these high-cost regions, ASTRO N can effectively reduce the BOS cost due to its characteristics of high powerand high efficiency.
ASTRO N5s and ASTRO N5 are compared with the same sized PERC modules in three typical PV markets of China,
Germany and USA. In the scenarios of residential and C&I applications, the number of installed modules of a project isthe same due to the limitation of installation area, therefore, the installed capacity of ASTRO N is 3.6%-4.8% higher thanthat of PERC modules because of the higher power characteristic of ASTRO N. Finally, ASTRO N can reduce the costs perwatt of cables, PV racking system, inverters, etc., and the BOS cost can be reduced by 3.9%.
Module type

PRRC

ASTRO N5s/N520/175Module quantity (pcs)

ASTRO N vs PRRC/

Module power (W)415/545435/575+20W

System capacity (kWdc)

8.3/97.1

8.7/100.6

3.6%-4.8%

Power temp. coef.(%/°C)

-0.35

-0.30

-0.05

1st year degradation

2.00%

1.00%

-1.00%

Annual degradation

0.55%

0.40%

-0.15%

Lifetime (year)

25

30

5

Lifetime Energy Yield (kWh)BOS cost
Module premium（￠/W）+27.8%~28.4%
-3.9%

/

1

IRR

+0.36%~1.17%

Comparison of main parameters between ASTRO N and PERC modules in residential and C&I PV projects

Compared with the mainstream PERC monofacial
products with a power warranty of 25 years, ASTRO N cansignificantly increase the energy yield throughout the
lifetime of PV system. Firstly, more installed capacity of
ASTRO N under the same installation area can increase theenergy yield by about 4.5%; secondly, the longer working
life of ASTRO N with power warranty of 30 years canincrease the energy yield by about 19.4%~19.5%; thirdly, theadvantages of lower LID and lower temperature coefficient
can further increase the energy yield by about 3.9%~4.4%.
Finally, the total energy yield of ASTRO N is up to
27.8%~28.4% higher than that of PERC modules in typicalresidential and C&I applications in different regions.
With the advantages of low BOS cost and high energy
yield, ASTRO N can increase the internal rate of return (IRR)of the project by 0.36%~1.17% even at a premium of 1
cents/W over PERC.

Germany
Energy gain：27.94%↑
IRR for residential : 0.98%↑
IRR for C&I：1.07%↑

USA

China

Energy gain：28.36%↑

Energy gain：27.82%↑

IRR for residential : 1.17%↑

IRR for residential : 0.36%↑

IRR for C&I：1.08%↑

IRR for C&I：0.71%↑

In residential and C&I applications of different countries, theenergy yield and IRR gain of ASTRO N compared with PERC
modules when the premium of ASTRO N is 1 cents/W

20

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

6.3

BOS and LCOE Utility Scale and Large C&I Applications

In the scenarios of utility scale and large C&I applications located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with a typicaldry-hot climate and Yinchuan, China with a mild climate and sufficient sunshine, the 100MW power plants are simulated
construction with the 1P single-axis trackers, the 1500V centralized inverters and the DC/AC ratio of 1.2. The difference inenergy yield and LCOE are compared between the ASTRO N5 575W modules and the same sized PERC 550W modules.

System Information
Module type
Module power(W)Yinchuan，China

PERC-550W

ASTRO N5550

575

AC capacity (MW)100

DC capacity (MW)

120
0.33

GCR

1P single-axis tracker

Mounting type

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Modules per string (pcs)

28/27

28/27

Annual degradation

0.45%

0.40%
Abu Dhabi/Yinchuan

Location

15℃/-8℃

Yearly average lowest ambient temp.

0.20

Albedo1500

System voltage (V)30 years

System lifetime

Key parameters of the simulation design of large-scale power
plants in Abu Dhabi and Yinchuan

The advantage of highpower generation of
ASTRO N is more
outstanding in high temperature regions such as
the Middle East.

Energy yield gain compared with PERC

Compared with PERC bifacial modules, Due to lower LID, lower annual power degradation, lower temperature
coefficient to reduce high temperature loss and superior bifaciality, ASTRO N achieves the energy yield gain per watt of
3.8% and 2.5% in Abu Dhabi and Yinchuan, respectively.

5%
4%
3%
2%

LID

+3.8%

Temperature loss

0.9%

Bifaical gain

+2.5%

0.8%
1.1%

0.3%
0.4%

1.0%

1.0%

Abu Dhabi

Yinchuan

1%0%Annual degradation

0.8%

ASTRO N
Energy yield gain per watt of ASTRO N compared withPERC bifacial module in different regions

21

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

The main ways to reduce LCOE are to reduce the initialinvestment and increase the total energy yield during the
lifetime of a PV power station.
ASTRO N can not only effectively reduce the BOS cost,
but also has excellent power generation performance.
Therefore, the LCOE of PV power stations using ASTRO N
will be significantly reduced.

As shown in the figure below, the LCOE of large-scale power plants in different regions using ASTRO N is 1.9%~3.3%
lower than that using the same sized p-PERC modules even if ASTRO N is sold at a premium of 1 cents/W. If the pricesof the modules are the same, the reduction of LCOE after using ASTRO N will be greater.

Madrid. Spain

Yinchuan. China

2.3%

1.9%
Abu Dhabi. UAE.

3.3%

Rio. Brazil

2.7%

Based on a premium of ASTRO N5 of 1 cents/W, the LCOE decrements of power plants using ASTRO N5
compared with PERC bifacial module in different regions of the world（ASTRO N5-575W VS PERC-550W）

22

ASTRO N PRODUCT WHITE PAPER

07

PART

Future Prospect

At present, Astronergy has fully started the new track for n-type products, which can further meet the diverse
demands of customers. ASTRO N has been widely recognized by the market for its excellent performance, and the whole
series of products have successfully obtained the main certifications of TÜV Rheinland and UL.
By the end of 2022, the capacity of ASTRO N modules hit 4GW. During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period (2021-2025),
Astronergy to expand its PV cell and PV module production capacity in high speed, and its module capacity is expected
to reach over 70GW in 2025, which including over 50GW of ASTRO N modules.With the series products of ASTRO N,
Astronergy can continuously provide the high-performance and high-quality PV products and the product solutions withlower LCOE to promote the development of clean energy and benefit the world!

Total capacity (module)

ASTRO N capacity

Module capacity (GW)

75

70
58

60

50

49
40

45

34
30

20

15

4
0

2022

2023

2024

2025

Year
Module capacity planning of Astronergy from 2022 to 2025

23