Diodes Inc. Releases Bypass Diodes Targeting The Solar Panel Market
Diodes Inc. introduced a new family of SBR® bypass diodes in the compact, low-profile patented PowerDI® 5 package said to specifically address the performance, reliability, and form-factor requirements of modern solar panel arrays.
The new SBR diodes are claimed to be the industry’s first bypass diodes specifically designed in accordance with the high temperature requirements of the IEC 61730-2 solar panel safety standard. With a low-profile height of 1.1mm, SBR10U45SP5 and SBR1045SP5 can be integrated into the array panel, eliminating the need for an external bypass diode junction box, and offer ultra low forward voltage drop with a selectively rated 200°C maximum junction temperature.
"Diodes continues to stay in front of market trends by developing innovative new products for high growth opportunities like the solar panel industry," remarks Mark King, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Diodes Incorporated. "The new SBR bypass diodes provide a unique product family for the solar panel industry offering a combination of high temperature operation and high efficiency that can only be achieved using our patented SBR technology."
Using Diodes’ patented SBR technology, the SBR10U45SP5 is said to offer up to 20% lower forward voltage drop compared to equivalent Schottky rectifiers, while maintaining a low typical reverse leakage current below 30mA at 150°C. The improved thermal and electrical performance of these bypass diodes allows for greater power generation in each photovoltaic (PV) cell and higher reliability against common thermal failures in the solar panels like hot spots or cell breakdown.
According to the company, with a small footprint of 23.8mm², the SBR bypass diodes in the PowerDI5 package offer an 87% reduction in PCB area compared to commonly used surface mount packages like D2Pak, making it suitable for integration into the solar panel array. The SBR10U45SP5 and SBR1045SP5 are built using "green" Antimony and Bromine-free mold compound and is RoHS compliant.
In addition, Diodes is also releasing an SBR bypass diode, part number SBR10U45SD1, in a traditional axial DO-201 package. Like the PowerDI5 bypass diodes, the SBR bypass diode has a continuous forward current rating of 10A, with an ultra-low forward voltage drop (V(F)), and a selectively rated 200°C maximum junction temperature.
