Ikea sells its own balcony power plant for self-assembly.
From this week on, Ikea stores will offer a DIY balcony solar power kit for a small price. It comes with a portable battery included.
When using photovoltaic modules in urban areas, partial shading often occurs, leading to significant energy losses and increased thermal stress.
When photovoltaic systems are deployed in residential and industrial areas, roofs, chimneys, or trees in the vicinity cause more significant partial shading than solar modules installed in open areas. Regular partial shading results in energy losses and increased thermal stress.
In extreme cases, just 5% shading of the module surface leads to a total loss of module power, as explained by the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP and AESOLAR.
Unfavorable shading can lead to overheating of a section of a solar module. These hotspots affect reliability, for example, through accelerated aging of the polymers used in the encapsulation materials of the solar cells.
Research project tests prototypes
This is where the ongoing SegmentPV project until the end of September 2025 comes in, in which a modified Hot-Spot-Free (HSF) photovoltaic module is being developed. By segmenting the module layout and using integrated bypass diodes, it offers higher energy yield and lower hot spot risk, thus specifically optimized for use under partial shading conditions.
A novel hot spot test with alternating operating conditions identifies potential issues in continuous operation, while a special bypass diode test aims to demonstrate longevity even in module arrays. These tests are currently being applied to various prototypes and yielding initial positive results.
By the project's end in September, investigations into long-term reliability should be completed, and the increase in yield even under outdoor conditions demonstrated.
High energy yield
"With the new HSF module, we can significantly increase the energy yield of photovoltaic systems while simultaneously reducing system costs. This is an important step towards greater use of renewable energies in urban areas," says Matthias Pander, project manager at Fraunhofer CSP.
And Dr.-Ing. Hamed Hanifi, Technology and Innovation Director at AESOLAR, adds, "We aim to bring the new generation of Hot-Spot-Free modules to the market as quickly as possible to improve the yield, efficiency, and reliability of PV modules under partial shading conditions and thus contribute to the energy transition."
The results of the project will be presented by Fraunhofer CSP at Intersolar Europe 2025 in Munich.