text: TE: The SCR is compatible with most cell technologies. Its advantage grows with cells of high efficiency. We began working from the existing standards, using four through to five busbars…
  PB: Actually, even six busbars is possible. In fact, it can be used on half-cut cells and bifacial modules. There is a lot of potential in this product and we have only just started working on it. But we see a big, big potential. It can be further developed.
  PB: The plug-and-play aspect really is the biggest difference. There were white coated ribbons that lost their color after soldering, or ones that could only be used with conductive adhesives and all the process changes that come with that. But [in production] this is really taking out the old ribbon and putting in the new one.
  But can it be deployed at the same temperature of soldering and with a range of soldering technologies?
  TE: It does require a slightly higher temperature, but this really doesn’t matter. We have checked with all of the available stringing types and it really does work on all of the available technologies. The major advantage compared with older versions of white colored ribbon, is that there is no yield loss. Right up to the last meter of the ribbon can be used.
  PB: We can simply say that it is highly reflective and temperature stable but nothing more than that.
  PB: We’re still working on that – optimizing the costs. The target is, of course, to be as cost efficient as possible for our customers. There might be a slight increase price wise, but not as much as the benefit for the customer – that is for sure.
  TE: We have worked very hard on the ‘customer cost of ownership’ benefit. For sure there has to be a benefit for the customer for efficiency on one side, and then there is additional length, because we reduce the actual density of the ribbon by about 5%. That results in there being additional length for the same 5 kg [of feedstock]. These are two effects for the customer. For sure we want to gain some margin here, but the benefit for the customer is of highest importance.
  How is the environment now for introducing a new product like this, because we know that there is a pretty big squeeze on the manufacturers with falling module prices?
  PB: I have honestly been pleasantly surprised by the feedback. We have launched quite a few new products over the past few years. But especially for those customers with established lines, getting an additional 2 W out without any additional investment, then the question is, “why wouldn’t you take it?”
  The response from the technical people here at EU PVSEC has been great. Even from the first press release we received a number of enquiries and people are positive about a solution like this.
  TE: The appetite is there and it is not only out of Europe. We already have the first requests from Asia. The reason is that customers are really looking for new solutions with different colors, even from purely a design perspective. So, we are working on different solutions and things like black ribbons even could be a next generation.
  TE: The next one will be a full production line up and running early next year, and then we will see what the expansion will look like – depending on customer demand.