TSC PowerXT® 400W Shingled Modules

TSC designs, develops, and sells high-performance, high-efficiency solar panels and systems for residential and commercial applications. So, you might be wondering, what sets TSC apart from the rest?

Founded in 2000, TSC’s parent company, a U.S. solar manufacturer, was one of the early innovators of next-generation “shingled” solar panels, a ground breaking solar technology in which solar cells are cut, overlapped (shingled), and more densely packed into the panel to create a substantially higher-power, higher-efficiency panel than conventional solar panels. The company began developing shingled panels in 2014 and has amassed over 250 issued and pending patents in the field.

The TSC PowerXT® panel was introduced to the market in 2016. It is a high-performance, high-density module (“HDM”) that produces up to 20% more power than a conventional solar panel. The PowerXT® panel also provides a visually attractive all-black appearance compared to conventional solar panels on the market today. When designing the PowerXT®, the company looked at conventional solar panels and saw the the potential for improvement in the established technology. TSC`s engineering and product development team started with the most rigorous manufacturing protocols and quality of materials and redesigned a more energy efficient, reliable and beautiful looking solar panel.

What makes the PowerXT® stand apart from conventional panels is its technology. Conventional panels use copper strings to connect the cells. When exposed to temperature changes, copper expands and contracts significantly. This puts strain on the points where the cells are connected and is the leading cause of power degradation over time. TSC eliminated the need for copper strings by developing a “shingling” technique. TSC`s patented technology cuts solar cells into 5 equal strips. The strips are aligned with a very slight overlap, like the shingles on your roof, and attached using an electrically conductive adhesive. Shingling allows the panel to be more flexible and adapt to environmental stressors like wind, rain, and snow, contributing to superior efficiency and longevity of the panel. Shingling also enables TSC to achieve a unique all-black look to its panel by hiding the visible circuitry under the overlapped cells.

Another common failure point in conventional panels is shade tolerance – for example, from trees or neighboring buildings. Conventional panels are broken down into 3 sections. When just 10% of the panel is shaded, the panel energy output drops to zero. PowerXT® panels, on the other hand, are broken down into 20 sections. If 10% of the PowerXT® panel becomes shaded, the panel energy output remains at 90%. When put through an outdoor test at one of TSC’s third-party testing facilities, the PowerXT® produced 64-83% more energy when shaded compared to conventional panels.

Up until recently, the power output of conventional panels for residential installation was generally below 300 Watts. With the innovative design, PowerXT® significantly increased the power output of residential panels. The newest addition to their line of products is the 400-Watt PowerXT®. The 400-Watt panel is one of the highest power panels on the residential market today. TSC’s higher efficiency technology means more power per square meter area, reducing the number of panels, mounting components and installation labor. These facts, coupled with the all-black design, make the PowerXT® one of the most cost effective and aesthetically pleasing residential solar systems on the market.

Fortunately, the manufacturer has recently started to sell its products directly through wholesalers in Europe and from now on also through us.