As China aims to build a new power system with renewable energy at the core, the renewable energy sector, especially the solar PV industry, has ushered in a brand new era of rapid development. As secret weapons to reduce LCOE, 210mm cells and modules have sprung up like mushrooms.
Zhang Lin, Director of Solar Technology at Tongwei
On the Symposium on Advanced Photovoltaic Technologies and Trends held on July 21, Dr. Zhang Lin, Director of Solar Technology at Tongwei, commented that G1 cells are being phased out by the market. The production capacity and shipment of G12 are rising. Taking Tongwei as an example, by 2023, the company’s G12 cell capacity will reach 38.1GW, accounting for 54.9% of the total capacity. He stressed that Tongwei will continue to conduct in-depth research on improving the commercial conversion efficiency of G12 cells.
In response to doubts about 210mm cells, Zhang Lin said that the production processes for M6 cells can be used for G12 cells. The large size will not affect cell’s conversion efficiency. He added that in the third quarter of this year, the average mass production efficiency of Tongwei G12 cells is expected to exceed 22.9%, which can help customers achieve the batch shipment target of 550W+ modules and meet the requirements of power plant investors. At the same time, he expects that by the fourth quarter of this year, the storage efficiency of G12 cells will reach 23.0%, and there are ready-made schemes to implement.
While improving efficiency, Tongwei also puts forward higher requirements for product reliability. In fact, in the first half of 2021, Tongwei’s G12 cell has just passed the reliability test of Trina Solar, Hanwha, Kyocera and other clients. Zhang Lin said that Tongwei will continue to send high-efficiency cells to customer’s factories for testing to ensure product reliability.
Zhang Lin pointed out that Tongwei has established close cooperative relations with Trina Solar, Risen and other enterprises in terms of 210mm products. The R&D department will conduct more discussions on future technologies to lower costs.
