210 Wafers: How Far Is It To Become A Standard Size For Solar Photovoltaic?

Since the beginning of 2020, solar photovoltaic companies' layout of 210mm silicon wafers has continued to run.

On March 12, Oriental Risheng launched the Titan series of technical white papers. Titan series solar panels use 210 large-size silicon wafers, while also using 50 9-gate PERC single-crystal solar cells, 3-segment design, supplemented by a unique internal circuit connection method, so that the power of solar panels exceeded 500W in one fell swoop.

Small Solar Panel

                                                    

According to Liu Yafeng, senior director of research and development of Dongfang Risheng Solar panel, the efficiency of the Titan series solar panels is as high as 20.8%. In terms of cost, the new single-line production capacity can be increased by 30%, and the BOS cost can be reduced by 9.6%, thereby reducing LCOE. 6%. At present, Oriental Risheng has planned 3GW high-efficiency production capacity, which will achieve mass production in the second quarter and large-scale shipments in the third quarter.

Photovoltaics usher in a new era of 5.0

Coincidentally, Trina Solar recently held a new global product launch conference, and the company's latest series of ultra-high-power solar panels was officially unveiled. The Extreme series is based on a 210mm large-size silicon wafer and a PERC monocrystalline solar cell. It adopts an innovative version design with a power that can exceed 500W and an efficiency of up to 21%, leading the industry to officially enter the new era of photovoltaic 5.0.

According to the Trina Solar R & D team, if the 210mm ultra-large silicon wafer is used, if the traditional design of the module is cut in half, the high current output characteristics of the module will easily cause problems such as system junction box security risks, component cracks, and DC terminal limiting.

According to reports, the Extreme Series includes two solar panels with double-sided, double-glass and back panels. According to the calculation data of a large-scale ground power station in Heilongjiang Province, China, compared to a conventional double-sided double-glass solar panel with an output power of 410W, the Extreme Series double-sided double-glass module with an output power of 500W can reduce BOS and 6% by 8 to 3% To 4% LCOE, the cost reduction advantage is significant.

Trina Solar said that the company will formally take orders in the second quarter, and expects to achieve Extreme Series mass production in the third quarter, with a capacity of more than 5GW by the end of the year.

Dongfang Risheng's Titan solar panels have a wide range of adaptability. Liu Yafeng introduced that the current centralized inverters in the market can match Titan modules. With regard to the selection of string inverters, as long as the string input of each MPPT access point is designed at 26A, the string inverter can be seamlessly connected to Titan components.

As the power of solar panels increases, for power stations of the same capacity, Titan series modules can reduce the installation workload by about 11% to 20%, effectively reducing installation time and reducing installation costs.

Liu Yafeng said that Oriental Risheng will continue to promote the industrialization process of 500+ modules, lead the leap-forward development of solar panel products, and accelerate the upgrading of the photovoltaic industry. It has also been recognized by third-party organizations. After rigorous testing and complete evaluation, TüV SÜD and Jianheng Certification respectively issued PV product certification certificates to Dongfang Risheng.

Zhou Zheng, general manager of the PV business department of Jianheng Certification Center, pointed out that Oriental Risheng has obtained the first domestic 210-size module product certification certificate, which indicates that the performance, safety and reliability of this series of modules meet the requirements of domestic and foreign certification test standards. It marks the official entry of the photovoltaic 5.0 era into the market.

The next 5 years or will lead the industry

A senior source at Trina Solar stated that 210 is the ultimate size that can be achieved under the conditions of existing silicon wafer technology and silicon purity. At the same time, according to the progress of semiconductor technology, the 210 size position will not be replaced in the medium and long term. , I believe it can lead the industry in the next 5 years.

However, the introduction of a technology always coexists with opportunities and risks. When talking about the possible risks of 210 technology, the leader of AT & S module research and development believes that the increase in the area of ​​210 components may lead to an increased risk of load splits and requires strength. Higher bracket. After the 210 battery was cut into three, the number of small battery cells protected by a single diode increased from 24 to 30 small pieces, so the risk of hot spots increased significantly.

In this regard, Liu Yafeng, senior director of research and development of Dongfang Risheng Module, believes that hot spots are related to the current in the string and the number of defective batteries, but the battery's own quality level is the core element. Taking the Titan module as an example, the current in the string is about 6.2A, which is much smaller than the 10A current in the M2 battery module, so the risk of hot spots is actually lower.

Huang Qiang, vice president of Oriental Risheng, also said that although 210 is still difficult for some enterprises, he hopes that the certification of 210 components by Oriental Risheng will give more confidence to other manufacturers. As of now, Titan series components have now completed the TUV and CGC certifications of the IEC master certificate, and other regional certifications are also being carried out.

It is worth mentioning that in recent years, Oriental Risheng has actively deployed "210 modules" and heterojunction solar cells to create new growth points.

As of the end of 2019, Oriental Risheng has formed 11GW of solar panel capacity and 5GW of Perc solar cell capacity. At the same time, the company actively promoted the expansion of Yiwuji's 3GW "210" specification solar panels. Dongfang Risheng said that the "210" module is expected to effectively reduce the non-silicon cost of solar panels, and the company is expected to seize the opportunity.

Since 2005, 210mm silicon wafers are the standard size for the semiconductor industry. The industry believes that in the next ten years, 210mm silicon wafers will likely become the standard size for the solar photovoltaic industry.

Posted by Julie Huang of Blue Solaria  

Blue Solaria is a leading solar panel manufacturer in China. Dedicated to the design, engineering, manufacturing and sales of small solar panels since 2005. 

https://www.bluesolaria.com