AU Optronics Corp got very good feedback on the newest technologies it showcased at last week's Big Sight International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo in Japan.

AUO Solar, the company's solar division, presented two cutting-edge technologies to the world at the Expo, one that mitigates the affects of shading in residential and urban areas and another that resists salt corrosion.

"Visitors to the show were highly interested in AUO's AC module and asked about its launch schedule," AUO spokeswoman Katie Chen wrote in an e-mail from the company's headquarters in Hong Kong.

She said it's expected to be released in the United States in the third quarter of 2011.

The AC Photovoltaic system tracks the sun's maximum power point throughout the day using a micro-inverter attached to each photovoltaic panel rather than a large scale one that all of the panels are connected to, Chen wrote.

The micro-inverter is attached to the panel frame.

"The panel-level MPPT mitigates the effects of partial shading in a PV installation and makes sure the ACPV performs to its maximum power point even under shaded situations," Chen wrote.

The innovative new panel increases the energy yield by 5 to 35 percent depending on the shading conditions it's mitigating, Chen wrote.

"Although this adds a little to the cost of installation," Chen wrote, "the improved energy yield contributes to a lower cost of electricity in the long run."

In addition to the tracking and micro-inverter technology that AU Optronics has implemented to combat shading issues, the company released new organic self-cleaning technology and a technology that is extra resistant to salt corrosion.

"The environmentally friendly self clean function of the smart modules was also well received by the Japanese local market," Chen wrote.

And the panels resistant to salt corrosion, which are found in AUO's new EcoDuo module, have special advantages in Japan's island environment as well as other areas of the country surrounded by salt water and located in hot and humid locations, Chen wrote.

"By passing the salt mist corrosion test, AUO is proving that EcoDuo is able to resist severe environments, especially island climates."