AIKO has quickly established itself at the forefront of solar innovation, with its NeoStar 3 range breaking records for both power and efficiency. But beyond its headline 500 W output and 25% efficiency, there’s another feature that truly sets AIKO apart, its cell-level shade mitigation technology.
Often marketed as “shadeproof” solar, this technology promises to keep energy flowing even when parts of a panel are covered by shadows from clouds, trees, chimneys or bird droppings. But how does it actually work, and how much difference does it make in real-world conditions?
To understand what makes AIKO’s technology unique, it’s worth looking first at how most solar panels handle shade.
Standard solar modules are made up of cells connected in series, meaning that if one cell is shaded, it restricts current flow through the rest of the string. To limit this effect, manufacturers use bypass diodes that divide the panel into three sections. If one section is shaded, the diode activates and electricity flows around it.
While this keeps the panel working, it reduces output by roughly a third. Even small patches of shade can cause big drops in production – for example, a single leaf can trigger a bypass diode and take a third of the panel offline.
AIKO’s “ABC” (All Back Contact) modules take a different approach. Instead of immediately bypassing shaded areas, they use a controlled process rooted in semiconductor physics called avalanche breakdown.
AIKO Partial Shading Optimisation Blog
When a cell is shaded, it stops generating electricity but still needs to allow current to pass through. Normally, this would put the cell under reverse bias – essentially, the current is trying to flow the wrong way. In AIKO’s design, the cell is built to safely handle this situation by entering a controlled avalanche state, where it opens a conductive path that lets current continue flowing through the shaded area without triggering the bypass diode.
This design allows power to keep moving through the panel even when individual cells are shaded. Only when several cells in the same section are shaded, typically four or more, does the bypass diode activate to protect the circuit from voltage stress.
The result is a two-stage shading response: first, controlled avalanche breakdown keeps energy flowing through light or localised shade; second, traditional bypass protection takes over under heavier shading.
AIKO’s own testing shows a striking improvement over standard panels. In their demonstrations comparing ABC modules with conventional TOPCon designs:
Another AIKO test using a live water pump setup showed that under twelve shade patches, AIKO’s panel still delivered 72% of its maximum power, while the competitor dropped to just 1.4%.
AIKO Panel vs TOPCon Water Pump Test
These figures highlight how effective the avalanche-based system can be in preventing major losses when small parts of a panel are shaded.
Independent testing has produced more modest results. A detailed analysis by MC Electrical found that AIKO’s panels only showed a clear performance benefit under light or very localised shading, such as a shadow the size of a mobile phone.
In heavier shade, for instance from roof obstructions or nearby trees, the improvement was less dramatic. This makes sense given how the technology functions: the avalanche breakdown keeps current flowing through a few shaded cells, but once multiple cells are covered, bypass diodes still need to activate.
MC Electrical AIKO Shading Review
So while AIKO’s marketing videos demonstrate impressive results, in typical UK roof conditions, the advantage is most noticeable when shading is occasional or limited to small areas.
Even if the improvement isn’t as extreme as the lab tests suggest, AIKO’s technology still represents meaningful progress in solar design. Shading losses are one of the most common performance issues in UK installations, particularly on complex roofs or during the winter months when the sun is low.
By reducing the impact of small shadows, AIKO’s modules can deliver more consistent generation throughout the day. And crucially, this extra performance comes without a premium price tag, AIKO’s panels are priced competitively with other top-tier brands.
Combined with their industry-leading efficiency, elegant all-black design options and robust 25-year warranties, AIKO’s modules remain among the most advanced and cost-effective panels on the market.
AIKO’s shading mitigation technology isn’t magic, but it is clever engineering. Through careful control of how each cell behaves under shade, the company has created panels that handle everyday partial shading better than most competitors.
For homeowners with chimneys, trees or multi-roof systems, this can mean higher energy yields and fewer unexpected losses.
And when combined with the NeoStar 3’s exceptional 25% efficiency and 500 W power output, AIKO continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with silicon solar cells.
Get your panels today with Spirit Energy.