‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Trina Solar is planning its first major solar cell manufacturing expansion in recent years, driven by its migration to large-area PV modules using the 210mm wafer size as it ramps production of its high-performance mainstream ‘Vertex’ Series modules in 2021 onwards.
Major polysilicon producer Daqo New Energy expects polysilicon demand to outstrip supply for at least the next 18 months, due to the lack of new polysilicon capacity and strong demand as a growing number of ‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) members continue to add in-house monocrystalline ingot and wafer production.
The announcement from Tongwei on 10 August disclosing new cell price rises was a surprise for the whole PV industry. Compared to its previous quote on 24 July, the price of poly cells rose by another 6 USD cents/W, with a further increase of 8 cents/W for 156.75mm, 158.75mm and 166mm mono cells.
Leading ‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has achieved a record large-area N-type monocrystalline silicon solar cell conversion efficiency of 24.79%, independently confirmed by the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin (ISFH), Germany.
LONGi Solar has introduced its next-generation series of large-area high-performance modules for utility-scale PV power plant markets globally, offering up to 540Wp performance.
A total of seven China-based PV manufacturers have officially started efforts to establish a new ‘M10’ (182mm x 182mm p-type monocrystalline) large-area wafer size standard to reduce manufacturing costs throughout the entire solar industry supply chain as the number of large-area wafer sizes have emerged in the last few years.
New Germany-based PV module manufacturer SolarWelt has signed a volume order with Freiberg-based PV stringer specialist teamtechnik to enable the production of monocrystalline half-cut PERC (166 x 83 mm cells) with 9 busbars into high-efficiency modules at its planned facility in Thuringia.
Leading ‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has reiterated solar module shipment guidance for 2020 to be in the 18-20GW range, while stating that its monocrystalline-based module capacity would reach the 25GW milestone by the end of the year.
JA Solar has launched its highest performing large-area PV panel series, DEEPBLUE 3.0, which integrates a number of key technologies to provide power outputs of up to 545Wp. The new series is designed for an era of grid parity and intensive electricity price competition to effectively reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and maximize the economic value of PV systems for the renewable energy generation.
China-based Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System Co is supplying Australian wholesaler Raystech Group with 50MW of its latest high-performance ‘S3’ series 166mm half-cell panels.
