TE Connectivity‘s new SOLARLOK PV Edge decentralized junction box that can be attached to glass-to-glass photovoltaic panels without drilling holes. The new junction box aims to reduce installation costs, raise energy outputs from the panels and improve reliability.
Glass-to-glass photovoltaic cells continue to increase in efficiency, fall in price, and grow in popularity. TE’s new PV Edge junction box is aligned to these market and customer needs, providing easy installation, lower pricing and simple design.
“This small junction box can be positioned right on the edge of the glass to prevent shade falling on the cells on the rear side of the panel,” says Frank Rosenkranz, product manager at TE’s Industrial business unit.
The SOLARLOK PV Edge is the first junction box on the market that can be mounted on the edge of the PV panel without the panel manufacturer having to drill any holes or use a potting resin that can take over six hours to cure. Installation can takes only seconds.
“The junction box has a flap design, which protects the foils while facilitating attachment to the PV panel,” adds Rosenkranz. “The flaps on the box are available in different shoulder heights to fit panels of diverse thicknesses. The connectorized design of the SOLARLOK PV Edge enables maximum installation flexibility with custom length PV4-S cable jumpers for prefect fit and cost-saving.”
Other important features of the new junction box include:
• A lid with cooling ribs to improve heat dissipation
• Elimination of X-connect to facilitate lay-outs
• Further cost reduction through shorter foil lengths
• Shorter connections that increase efficiency and improve output
• Defined bottom roughness that eliminates the need for pre-treatment of the product
Further beneficial features include a separate compartment for the diode for better heat transfer in case of shading, and an optional thermal pad to increase power handling by 2A.
— Solar Builder magazine
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