An alternate cell binning method and the resulting economic-impact

Cell manufacturers use different cell binning techniques in order to minimize mismatch losses in photovoltaic modules. We have examined the economic-impact of various cell-sorting methods. We then devised a new cell-sorting algorithm. This consists of sorting on double criteria, which not only minimizes mismatch losses but also improves the reliability of the modules. This study evaluates the proposed technique vis-a-vis the existing techniques of sorting at both the cell manufacturing and the module manufacturing levels. We also studied the impact of an automated method of selecting bin boundaries that would optimize the cell sorting technique in a manufacturing scenario marked by continuous improvement in process and efficiency.