Trina Solar is Well-Poised to Support This Goal As a Total Solution Service Provider For IPPs or Developers – Todd Li, President, Trina Solar Asia Pacific

1. How is Trina Solar enhancing its market presence and strengthening its position in the solar PV module market in India and South Asia?

Trina Solar has been actively engaged in India’s burgeoning solar energy sector, aligning with the country’s ambitious renewable energy objectives. Last year, we have signed numerous agreements, boosting our market share, especially in the utility-scale segment. We also recently concluded a project with a leading solar company in India supplying modules worth 160MW.

Our unique position as a total solution provider sets us apart in the industry. Beyond offering modules, our comprehensive solutions include trackers and storage solutions. Our involvement in energy storage, backed by a significant in-house battery cell manufacturing capacity, provides IPPs with containerized storage solutions. Furthermore, our electrolyser manufacturing unit in China is on the cusp of global expansion, signaling our foray into the market for electrolysers for green hydrogen. This positions us not just as a product supplier but as an indispensable partner for most EPCs and developers. Our expansion into these vertical industries broadens our company’s reach, allowing us to diversify beyond traditional solar offerings, especially in pivotal markets like India, which is experiencing a notable surge in interest in green hydrogen, ammonia, and RTC power.

Testament to our strength in India and South Asia, we have booked orders for n-type i-TOPCon modules which we will be shipping soon. We are also working to close our first sale in India for our Elementa energy storage system very soon.

2. How is Trina Solar adjusting its product offerings to meet the changing needs and regulations in the solar industry of India and South Asia?

Given its potential , we cannot afford to overlook this market. The country is not lagging behind technology adoption but it is a cost-sensitive market, and thus, uptake depends on the price of products. Availability is another crucial factor, as putting up a new module in India requires a BIS certification, which takes time. Technology wise, India and South Asia is at par with global trends.

 Trina Solar has been in India for around 14 years now and we are committed to the market and ensuring full compliance to regulations set by the government. We are not a new player in India and have a long-standing presence here. We are supporting the Indian solar industry by supplying them with high-quality and the latest technology available in the market.

We have approved a plethora of reliable and capable local steel suppliers for our tracker structural components and established an innovative tripartite contract structure. With this, our India clients can procure compatible tracker structural parts directly from our India suppliers. This ensures best in class reliability and performance, as well as competitive pricing.

End last year, two of our Vertex modules, Vertex N 700W NEG21C.20 and Vertex N 610W+ Bifacial NEG19RC.20, were certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). NEG21C.20 offers industry-leading 700W+ power output and up to 22.5% efficiency and uses 210 mm x 210 mm size. These deliver lower balance of system (BOS) cost and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and are ideal for commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects in India and South Asia, which we believe, will help the country meet its ambitious renewable energy target.

We also showcased our Vanguard 1P tracker in India. The Vanguard 1P, with its bidirectional dampers and patented spherical bearings, is highly reliable and easier to install than traditional trackers. TrinaTracker has also verified multiple onshore Indian suppliers who can provide the structural items of the tracker to our clients directly the region, enabling more cost competitive and timely supply of components.  India has, traditionally, been a fix-tilt market but our tracker solutions will allow modules to generate up to 30% more solar energy than conventional systems. Accordingly, Trina Solar is building its onshore capability and support as our tracker business continues to grow.

3. How does Trina Solar navigate and leverage changing governmental policies in the renewable energy sector to drive growth in the solar PV market in India and South Asia?

India is increasingly focusing on green hydrogen, as part of its aim to become energy independent by 2047 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also launched a National Green Hydrogen Mission in an effort to make India a major producer of the fuel. 

Trina Solar is well-poised to support this goal as a total solution service provider for IPPs or developers. Besides supplying modules and trackers, we also have energy storage, battery cell manufacturing capacity and containerised storage solutions for IPPs. Furthermore, our electrolyser manufacturing unit in China is on the cusp of global expansion, signalling our foray into the market for electrolysers for green hydrogen. In India, we are talking to a few developers who are setting up green hydrogen capacities. Many tenders are coming up focusing on battery storage systems. We believe green hydrogen is the future and solar would be required to power these projects. Trina Solar is all geared up to cater to this market.

4. What trends has Trina Solar identified in the solar PV module industry in India and South Asia, and how is the company positioning itself to capitalize on these insights? Can you outline Trina Solar’s vision for future growth in India and South Asia, including any upcoming projects or expansions as part of the company’s strategic roadmap?

The Indian market is the third largest in Asia with an ambitious target of adding 50GW of renewable power every year. According to JMK Research, India has been one of the fastest growing markets for solar, adding about 9.8GW of utility-scale solar and another 2.2GW of rooftop solar in 2023. Looking at the trajectory, India may add 250GW of renewable power in the next five years. 

There is also a growing demand in the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment for clean energy, especially in power intensive industries such as the steel, cement, pharma, and automobile industries. This demand in the C&I segment allows us to augment our installation capacity in the country with advanced products such as the n-type modules – which is the future and offers higher power and higher efficiency, when compared to the p-type modules. 

In Bangladesh, a significant number of solar domestic energy systems are installed at homes. The use of solar energy on such a scale is highly beneficial as still a large portion of the population do not have access to grids.We also recognize the growing significance of trackers as well as energy storage in India. So, we are keeping pace with new technology advancements, establishing the company as a one-stop solution for any renewable energy requirements.