Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) and US company Source Energy have collaborated on a new line of silicon photovoltaic modules for space satellite applications, designed to significantly reduce the costs of energy generation in space.
The technology seeks to offer an alternative to traditional solar cells based on Group III-V semiconductors, which are currently used in space applications due to their high efficiency and radiation resistance but have high manufacturing costs and limited availability. These factors hinder the expansion of commercial missions, especially for satellites in low Earth orbit.
According to Fraunhofer ISE, the new modules use conventional silicon solar cells interconnected through shingle-matrix technology, which allows for the manufacture of cheaper panels without compromising the robustness required by the space environment. The process is fully automated and uses equipment developed by German company M10 Solar Equipment GmbH. It has been installed at Source Energy’s factory in the state of Colorado since June.
Bryan Mazor, Source Energy’s Chief Technology Officer, says the company can produce the modules for less than $5/W, in addition to reducing the delivery time to less than six months after the order, a performance considered significantly superior to that of solutions based on III-V materials.
In shingle-matrix technology, solar cells are cut into narrow strips and partially overlapped, forming a matrix similar to a bricklaying pattern. Electrical connections are made with a conductive adhesive applied at low temperature.
According to Fraunhofer ISE project manager Najwa Abdel Latif, this architecture offers three main advantages for space applications: greater resistance to localized damage caused by micrometeorites or space debris, flexibility for different electrical configurations and greater tolerance to the intense temperature variations found in orbit.
If part of the module is damaged, the matrix configuration allows the electrical current to automatically bypass the affected region, reducing generation losses. The number of rows and columns of cells can be adjusted according to the voltage and current requirements of each satellite.
Another advantage highlighted by the researchers is the technology’s compatibility with different types of wafer-based silicon cells, including PERC and heterojunction (HJT), without requiring changes to the production line. The low-temperature interconnection process could also be used in the future with perovskite-silicon tandem cells.
The prototypes developed have dimensions of 321 mm × 209 mm, an area of 629 cm², and weigh 64 grams.
The modules exhibited an average power output of 15.6 W, reaching 16.1 W in the best specimens, with an average efficiency of 18.8% under AM0 conditions at 25 °C, a standard used to characterize devices intended for the space environment.
The specific power output reached 252 W/kg, a performance considered competitive among silicon-based space modules.
The modules underwent a series of space qualification tests conducted by Source Energy, including tests to withstand the large thermal variations encountered in orbit. The results indicate that the modules remain within the qualification criteria for space applications and should retain approximately 76% of their original power after seven years of operation in space.
Achim Kraft, Fraunhofer ISE’s head of the Photovoltaic Module Technologies department, said the initiative demonstrates that technologies widely used in the ground-based photovoltaic industry can contribute to reducing the costs of energy generation in commercial satellites.
“Together with Source Energy, we developed silicon solar modules for space applications similar to those already successfully and cost-effectively used in terrestrial applications,” Kraft said.
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