There is little question that the solar market in general has thus far shown a growing preference for the LONGi Hi-MO 4 module with M6 wafer (166mm), but there are nevertheless still some in the PV industry who have an ambiguous attitude towards the product. In this article, we have put together a Q&A list on the LONGi Hi-MO 4 and trust that this will provide a more systematic and in-depth understanding of its background and benefits.
Why has LONGi chosen the M6 wafer (166mm) specification for the Hi-MO 4 module?
Figure 1: The reasons for choosing the M6 wafer (166mm) for Hi-MO4
The cost saving and compatibility advantages of the M6 wafer (166mm) are achieved at both the manufacturing end of the industrial chain and the application end of the system. For the cost saving on the system side, the fundamental reason is that the increase of current basically makes use of the margin of the current commercial inverter and increases the capacity of a single stringfor unchanged Voc (the string length is unchanged). Since M6 bifacial modules fully utilize the current margin of the inverter, any wafer larger than M6 will limit the inverter’s current and lead to a loss in power generation. Although new module circuit design can reduce current, the benefit in BOS cost will disappear when compared with M6 modules.
How has the LONGi Hi-MO 4 module evolved?
Figure 2: Upgraded Hi-MO4
LONGi optimized the design size of the Hi-MO 4 module earlier this year. The size of the 72 cell module changed to 2094 * 1038mm. The efficiency of mass produced modules exceeded 20% across the board, and that of the 450W module reached 20.7%. The improvement in efficiency brings further BOS cost savings, and the land area occupied by a power station is also significantly reduced.
What is the difference in BOS cost between the LONGi Hi-MO 4 module and modules of other specifications?
Figure 3: Comparison of main products in market (Bifacial Module)
With a 72 cell module with a 158.75mm silicon wafer, at a power station adopting a centralized inverter and fixed bracket configuration, the BOS cost of the Hi-MO 4 can be reduced by 0.65 US cents/W. Although the power of a 78 cell module is equal to that of the Hi-MO 4, the reduction in the number of series connections leads to a significant gap between the cost saving of its BOS and that of Hi-MO 4.
At a power station adopting string inverters, the BOS cost of Hi-MO 4 can be reduced by 0.86 US cents/W due to the increase of capacity ratio.
LONGi’s Hi-MO 4 module is obviously larger. Can it really reduce installation costs?
Figure 5: Workers installing the LONGi Hi-MO 4 module with ease on a fixed bracket
Obviously, a high power module with an M6 wafer (166mm) brings higher power generation gains and lower BOS costs in practical application. But will the increase in module size and weight make the actual installation more difficult? Will it add more installation costs?
According to detailed research, there is no obvious difference between a Hi-MO 4 module and a conventional module in terms of handling, upper bracket and installation work. However, due to the increase in power of a single Hi-MO 4 module, the number of modules required is lower, meaning that installation effort is reduced, efficiency improved, and the overall construction period shortened, significantly lowering overall installation costs.
What is the market performance of the LONGi Hi-MO 4 module?
LONGi’s Hi-MO 4 module has been in a state of relatively short supply since it was launched, with more than 10GW of cumulative orders and letters of intent. Shipments in 2019 reached 1.5GW. Projects where the Hi-MO 4 module has already been utilized cover, among other territories, all regions of China, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Feedback from customers and EPCs has generally been that significant savings have been seen in most aspects of the construction process.
The market response to Hi-MO 4 has been extremely positive. In 2020, the capacity of the module will exceed 20GW, ensuring stable global supply.
After continuous optimization, the Hi-MO 4 module has an impressive mass production version, with a further reduction in weight. With the addition of bifacial technology, BOS and LCOE costs have also been lowered. The LONGi Hi-MO 4 module has quickly become the preferred choice for global clients, especially for large-scale PV power plant investors, and has demonstrated huge investment value worldwide.
According to you what are the significant changes that can happen after the budget 2020 policy?
In this union budget Government has intend to impose 20% BCD on Solar cells and Modules which was long lasting demand from the domestic manufacturer. This move will definitely benefit domestic manufacturers. Also Government has embarked funds for Kusum Yojna which will boost solar pumping sector to new heights.
Tell us about the recent trends in the Solar Module industry which has been picking up pace?
As far as technological changes are concerned there are hardly any major changes except for the increase in module efficiency and rise in Mono PERC share in market.
What according to you can be the challenges faced by the solar module industry with the budget 2020 policy?
Manufacturing industry was expecting some concessions in machine imports or investment on new project .Industry is also expecting some long term stable policy from Govt .Indian solar manufacturing sector is still in baby phase it needs govt support to grow and shine .Cheap and poor quality imports are still the biggest challenge then frequent changes in policy by centre and state is a big issue.
How has Insolation Energy Pvt. Ltd. planned to cope up with these challenges?
Still We are not catering to big project markets so we are directly not so much impacted by imports or Govt policies but to grow further we need to cater this market also .We are expanding slowly keeping a tight vigil on factors.
Does Insolation have plans for future collaborations ?
We Have recently entered into collaboration with a Big brand in china for technological upgradation and capacity expansion .our capacity will increase upto 200 MW by May 2020 . We are also planning to enter into manufacturing of allied products.
GoodWe is a leading solar inverter company having focus in research and manufacturing of PV inverters and energy storage solutions. Since its inception, company have been dedicated for research and development of PV inverter technology which have fruitfully awarded into GoodWe being ranked in Top 10 solar inverter manufacturer by Bloomberg, IHS Markit and Wood Mackenzie.
GoodWe takes pride in being recognized as preferred inverter partner by its customers, which is the result of dedicated R&D, high quality production norms, integrated advanced components and unmatched after-sales services.
India being one of the largest market worldwide, GoodWe understands the market scenario and offers a wide range of products for Residential, Commercial & Industrial and Utility Scale solar projects and Energy Storage Solution as well.
GoodWe have its technological strength in its inverters serving residential , Commercial & Industrial Utility scale projects with Inverter capacities of 1kW to 80kW, while having high output voltage inverters of 70-80kW capacity. The inverters have a robust design and manufactured for extreme conditions to maintain high efficiency and maximum output to provide maximum ROI. High end topology design integrated with advanced components makes GoodWe inverters reliable, easy to maintain and high performance device. GoodWe offers MT Series Solar Inverter solution which comes in 50kW to 80kW capacity. MT series inverters have become a necessary choice for C&I and Utility scale project due to its technological strength for high perfromace even at harsh conditions of 50℃. The MT Series inverters come with 50% DC overloading and 15% AC overloading feature along with 4 MPPT having range of 200V to 1000V. The inverter is made to adapt in extreme conditions like high heat of 50℃, high humidity of 85% along with protection grade of IP65 keeping it operational in heavy rain & dust.
Though MT Series inverter solutions have IP65 protection grade, its comes with an intelligent ventilation design which allows strong heat dissipation with the help of smart fans thus ensuring long product lifespan. It offers 99% efficiency rate along with a flexible and light weight design; the 80kW MT series inverter weighs only 72kgs making it easy to operate & maintain.
GoodWe MT Series inverter solution come with various other feature which keep these inverters ahead in the market. Key features like DC reverse current alarm, String level monitoring with smart detection, Arc fault circuit interrupter, Power line communication with PLC, WIFI and various other communication port sources, I-V curve scanning function, Anti PID function, Insulation monitoring, Integrated residual current monitoring unit, etc. GoodWe MT series inverter solution comes fully loaded with features making it a reliable source of power generation and easy to monitor the Return of Investment (ROI).
Why choose GoodWe?
Wide product portfolio of inverters for Residential, C&I and Utility projects.
Strong R&D department comprised with big team of researchers & software engineers with focus on technological advancement.
Inverter solutions loaded with various features for customer peace of mind.
Data collection capability of electricity consumption day & night, in both string & storage inverters.
High bankability of GoodWe as a brand.
Strong belief of educating the customer to keep them up to date with latest technological capabilities of solar inverters.
Apart from PV inverters, GoodWe is also devoted to developing its own monitoring platform which is free for customers and its smart energy management system for Module level monitoring, Rapid Shutdown and optimization.
Unmatched after sales support.
In the past 3 years, we have worked with some of the most reputed Indian EPCs/Developers like Tata Power Solar, Sterling & Wilson, Bosch, etc in India on many large-scale Commercial & Industrial projects ranging from 5MW to 20MW. Working with the top Solar EPC firm in India has given us the opportunity to continuously improve our services, enhance the quality and tailor-make the features of our products to meet the requirements of this dynamic market, better.
GoodWe have received its recognition after many years of painstaking research, continuously achieving innovative breakthroughs in the world of inverter technology. Inverters being highly efficient and intelligent combined with flexible and light weight design makes GoodWe an obvious choice for every project.
LONGi, China’s leading solar technology company headquartered in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, has announced that the company has supplied 100MW of its Hi-MO4m monofacial PERC modules to China Datang Corporation’s first floating solar plant in Hunan Province. It is established practice for the Datang Corporation to implement the strategic deployment of new energy, the floating solar plant being part of the 100MW“Fishery-Solar Complementary” project owned by the Corporation’s subsidiary, Datang Huayin Electric Power.
Located in the water area of Changhe, Sihushan Town, Yiyang City, theproject is the first floating solar plant in Hunan Province to integrate ecological and environmental protection with power generation. It has great significance in realizing the Datang Corporation’s goal of “building a world-class energy enterprise,” implementing its stated policy of restoring ecology and returning fishing to the Dongting Lake.
With a total of 100MW of installed capacity, the floating plant is built incorporating PV power generation arrays, 35Kv power distribution and quality stability facilities, a 110Kv booster station and an operational management center. This is the first cooperation between LONGi and Datang Huayin Electric Power.
The plant has adopted LONGi Hi-Mo4m monofacial PERC modules and a floating system from Sungrow Power, a key high-tech enterprise focused on the R&D of new energy in China, and one of LONGi’s technology partners. Generally, the BOS cost of a floating solar plant is significantly higher than that of a ground mount plant, but the LONGi Hi-MO4m module can help reduce the BOS cost element of a floating configuration, creating value for the project owner.
Datang Huayin were very complimentary toward the LONGi team, both in terms of completing delivery according to the agreed schedule and on module quality control.
According to Datang Corporation estimates, the project can save 40,000 tons of standard coal annually, reduce 721 tons of sulphur dioxide, 1083 tons of nitrogen oxide and 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide, also saving 540,000 tons of water, thus delivering what it describes as valuable “sunlight wealth” for local residents. The project has also enabled five bumper “harvests” of fishing, electricity, tourism, environmental protection and taxation, making a significant contribution to the local economy and environment.
Vena Energy, one of Asia-Pacific’s leading independent power producers (IPP) and pure renewable energy company, announced today the successful issuance of a benchmark USD 325,000,000, 5-year 3.133% fixed rate green bond offering (“Green Bond”) under Regulation S. This is the first corporate USD Green Bond issuance from a Singapore-based company.
The Green Bond, rated BBB- by Standard & Poor’s and listed on the Singapore Exchange, is issued under Vena Energy’s Euro Medium Term Notes Programme established in November 2019. The Green Bond proceeds will be used to refinance existing corporate loans for the development, construction and operation of Eligible Green Projects in accordance with Vena Energy’s Green Financing Framework, which was established in 2018 to enhance the company’s planning and disclosure practices as well as providing transparency and accountability to all its stakeholders. Vena Energy’s Green Financing Framework has been independently evaluated by Vigeo Eiris and Japan Credit Rating Agency, receiving the highest level of assurance from both agencies.
The Green Bonds issuance was facilitated by Crèdit Agricole CIB, DBS Bank Ltd, ING and MUFG serving as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Lead Managers. ABN AMRO, Banca IMI, BNP PARIBAS and SMBC Nikko served as Joint Lead Managers. Crèdit Agricole CIB and SMBC Nikko also served as Joint Green Structuring Advisors.
“This is a significant milestone for Vena Energy as we access the international capital markets, and an affirmation of the positive contributions that we have made to the environment and host communities in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Mr. Nitin Apte, CEO of Vena Energy. “We are proud of the positive reception from global investors experienced during our roadshows across Asia and Europe, as we reaffirmed our commitment to play a leading role in developing and generating clean renewable energy to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy across the Asia-Pacific region.”
“DBS is privileged to have worked with Vena Energy for their inaugural bond issue from the very start. This bond ticked many boxes in helping to deepen the Asian bond market further. The first USD corporate green bond out of Singapore, well supported by cashflows from stable clean energy projects and featuring an investment grade rating – this is exactly what the market needed.” said Mr. Clifford Lee, Global Head of Fixed Income at DBS Bank Ltd.
“We are very honored to be involved in the first ever corporate USD Green Bond issuance from a Singapore-headquartered company. The dialogues with a large number of European investors during the roadshow was paramount to the closing of this deal and it is reflected by the numerous European Green investors. We believe this is a watershed moment for Asia as Vena Energy marks the beginning of a green bond wave,” said Mr. Ravi Nichani, Executive Director, Debt Origination & Advisory at Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank.
“Vena Energy’s benchmark USD 2025 bond is truly unique in the Asian EM bond context, offering global bond investors a chance to participate in an investment grade credit that is well-diversified across Asia and backed by high quality contracted revenues. Certainly an outstanding achievement for a best-in-class Asian renewable pure-play,” said Mr. Helge Muenkel, Head of Asia-Pacific Global Capital Markets at ING.
“Vena Energy’s inaugural ground-breaking green bond issuance is truly a landmark in paving the way in the fast growing ESG investment space in Asia. It provides investors with an opportunity to invest in the credit of a market leading Asian renewable energy company” said Mr. Augusto King, Head of Debt Capital Markets at MUFG Securities Asia.
What are the significant developments witnessed by the renewable energy industry in recent years?
In the world of rapid transformation, India has maintained its reputation by emerging as one of the major contributors in the renewable energy sector globally. As per reports, the Indian renewable energy sector is the 4th most attractive market in the world that’s currently under the booming phase after a slow start.
Innovation is bringing down costs that’s simultaneously delivering on the promise of a clean energy future. Currently, India ranks second amongst the emerging economies for leading the transition to clean energy.
Energy Storage: Energy storage plays a significant role in balancing power supply and demand that furthermore helps in tackling the intermittency issues of renewable energy. Just pair a storage system with the renewable energy source and ensure a smooth power supply, despite any weather conditions.
AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seeping its way into various industries. Renewable energy industry is also embracing AI to power the Microgrids. Microgrids are local energy grids that provide energy independence, efficiency and protection during emergencies.
Harnessing the capabilities of AI along with microgrid controllers allows for continuous adaptation and improvement of operation.
Blockchain:
In addition to AI, blockchain technology is also being adapted for use in the renewable energy industry. Initially designed for cryptocurrency, Blockchain lacks centralization, which makes it ideal for eliminating the middlemen of electricity suppliers. It reduces energy inequality and inefficiency and empowers consumers to buy and sell energy from other consumers directly.
Highlight some of the solar manufacturing challenges faced today and plans to overcome them?
Solar energy tariffs in India are among the lowest in the world, but state governments are keen to push them down further. These dangerously low tariffs are turning unsustainable for some developers, who in turn cut corners on quality. There is a lack of liquidity in the market which becomes a challenging situation for manufacturers. After a relatively muted 2019, India is expected to install 11-12 GW in 2020, which is due to a stronger existing project pipeline and not because the market fundamentals have changed. Even though it will take time for the economy to stabilize, renewable purchase obligations, and facilitating lending will put the solar industry back on track so it can continue generating clean power, decrease pollution, and create jobs.
What is the impact of 2020 budget on the solar power sector, and how do you think will it help Goldi Solar in its growth trends?
The much-awaited Union Budget 2020 has been appreciated by the solar power industry. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a big push to the solar power sector in an effort to promote renewable energy and signalled the end for old and polluting thermal power plants. The government announced many provisions to uplift the sector such as:
PM Kusum Scheme will allow 20 lakh farmers to setup standalone solar pumps. The government also proposed to incentivise farmers for adopting solar power for agricultural purposes and utilize barren land for generating revenues.
The government also proposed to increase solar energy generation by setting up large solar capacity alongside Railways tracks
Reducing corporate tax rate for new energy companies
Allocation to MNREs has increased by 10.62% in this budget, providing a relevant boost to the industry.
India has got tremendous opportunity and the market landscape has evolved and matured. Developers, EPC’s, suppliers etc. have also changed a lot. Today, the market has become much more competitive and everyone is doing their best to gain market share. Goldi Solar has its special strength as it owns the full value chain which can bring more value to customers and support them to achieve more together. Our target is very simple and clear, that we are and we want to be a market leader by deploying high quality products and services. We are already recognized as one of the most reputed brands and well accepted by all customers due to our vision, strength, innovation, high product quality and after-sale service. Most importantly, Goldi Solar cares about its customers by leveraging business transparency and ethical business values, no matter the size and market share.
What do you think about the overall policy developments in India, is it satisfactory?
The industry does have its fair share of challenges. The commencement of Union Budget 2020, addressed some of the major issues and provided a relevant push to the industry. In today’s time where we are grappling with one of the worst Economic Slowdown. Despite that, the government is focusing on sustainable energy and climate goals, this aided in keeping momentum upbeat for the sector.
Beijing Shunzhen Green Harbor’s 6.6MW plant (5.5MW flouting Plant and 1.1MW on the rooftop) distributed photovoltaic power generation project was successfully connected with grid by the end of December 2019. This project was commissioned with Ginlong Technologies GCI-50K and GCI-60K-4G inverters, which marks the official commissioning of the Solis string-type floating PV power plant.
The project is located in the central port of Shunyi, Beijing. This project is a floating PV system with very high humidity; however, because of the special Climate and temperature condition on site, the inverter needs to support the installation plan with a horizontal inclination of 15 °. Through the docking communication between field personnel and Solis technicians, and experimental simulation tests, the technical problem was successfully solved. The inverter system was running with full efficiency. We can monitor the operation data in real time and transmit the data to Shunzhen Green Harbor’s platform by using the card designated by Beijing energy conservation center.
100% global-renowned components:
Solis is known for using components of internationally renowned brands for a long time, and these components have a reliable quality guarantee regardless of the operating temperature range and the materials and processes.
Integrated aluminum metal alloy shelland large area radiator:
The weight of the Solis inverter radiator is almost two-thirds of the overall body weight. This greatly increases the heat dissipation area of the inverter and ensures the efficient cooling of the inverter. The housing is an integrated aluminum alloy panel, which Tightly connected, the heat of the components can be directly transmitted to the aluminum alloy shell through the heat sink, forming a heat dissipation path of device → heat sink → shell → air. In addition, the heat of the components can be conducted to the case through the air inside the inverter, and then radiated to the outside air through the case. In addition, external inductance structure design which Ginlong adopted, could improve the heat dissipation performance of the inverter greatly. Even the inverter 15 ° installation can ensure good thermal performance. In addition, the measured ambient temperature of Solis inverter can still guarantee 110% full load operation which greatly improves the energy output of the system.
Intelligent air cooling technology：
Solis inverter can intelligently control the shutdown of the fan. When the inverter temperature reaches a certain value, the inverter controls the fan to start and cooperate with the radiator to dissipate heat. When the inverter is running at full load, the fan stops working and the inverter enters a natural cooling state. This improves the effectiveness of the fan’s working time and greatly extends the fan’s service life.
Built-in anti-component PID effect design：
When the battery module works above the water surface, the inverter is prone to PID attenuation. The Solis inverter has an anti-PID module built into the inverter. When the inverter stops in the evening, the module takes power from the AC side and adjusts the output voltage, injects voltage between PV and PE to reach the PV-pair of the panel. Ground potential eliminates the negative voltage of the PV-ground and plays a role in suppressing PID.
More reliability and economical：
Due to the special installation environment of this project, the inverter must have extremely high reliability. Solis string inverter has IP65 protection level, waterproof and dustproof, maintenance-free. The entire system is simple, eliminating supporting and auxiliary equipment as much as possible, reducing failure points and eliminating wearing parts; reducing the failure rate of surface systems and the number of manual inspections. In addition, Ginlong inverter passed a lot of reliability tested under extreme conditions, such as: high altitude and low air density test, direct air high pressure cycle test, high intensity ultraviolet radiation test, high intensity salt spray test, radiator ash coating test, limit Day and night temperature difference long-term cycle test (1500 cycles, -40 ℃ to 70 ℃), surface attached ice test, extreme environment test (high salt fog area, desert area, high altitude area, high humidity area), etc.
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has sanctioned the petition to acquire 250 MW of solar power from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
HPPC had submitted the plea for acquiring 250 MW of solar power to fulfill its RPO targets through the 1,200 MW (ISTS Tranche IV) tender. The contractual validity for this project is 25 years and the tariff set for the procurement was ₹2.54 /kWh .
The state has a solar RPO target of 1 percent of the total consumption for the year 2016-17, 2.5 percent for the year 2017-18, 4 percent for 2018-19, 5.5 percent for 2019-20, 7 percent for 2020-21, and 8 percent for the year 2021-22.
The HPPC had submitted that it has 100 MW of contracted capacity with SECI at a tariff rate of ₹2.57 /kWh and other 400 MW at ₹2.51 /kWh. For wind and solar projects, it has a contracted capacity of 330 MW with SECI at the rate of ₹2.76 /kWh. Furthur, HPPC also has a contracted capacity of 93 MW with HPGCL)and 135 MW under the KUSUM program.
The Commission observed that the shortfall in fulfillment of RPO targets is about 1,202 million units for FY 2018-19 and the total shortfall stands at 1850.44 MUs considering the backlog in the solar RPO.
The Commission approved the request for the procurement of 250 MW of solar power through SECI, after analyzing the status of the RPO shortfall. The Commission asked HPPC to submit a copy of the power sale agreement within 7 days from the date of its signing.
HPPC is a joint forum established by the state’s distribution companies to undertake different activities including the signing of agreements on behalf of Haryana DISCOMs.
Mid 2019, RECOM acquired the majority shares of Sunwatt, a Geneva based solar company, after years-long cooperation through exclusive usage of RECOM-Sillia’s French-produced PV modules in all SUNWATT projects and installations.
SUNWATT has long presence in the solar market with almost 40 years of experience in photovoltaic installations. RECOM’s acquisition of SUNWATT (thus RECOM-SUNWATT) is another important step in broadening RECOM’s presence and renewable footprint in the European market.
Central Electronics Limited (CEL) has floated its tender for setting up of grid-connected solar PV rooftop power plants of 1.6 MW capacity ranging from 10 kWp and 50 kWp in various government buildings in Tamil Nadu.
The scope of work will include the survey, engineering, design,erection, supply, construction,testing and commissioning. The project timeline for the commissioning of the projects is 90 days from the date of issue of the letter of award (LOA). For 25 years developers will need to supply comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) services for the rooftop systems.
The tender is limited to bidders who have received an email from CEL with the tender document. The last date for bid submissions and the techno-commercial bids is on March 2, 2020. It is also stated that every bidders must submit an Earnest Money Deposit of Rs 7.5 lakh along with their bids.
CEL is a Government of India Enterprise under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology and it is India’s oldest mono-crystalline cell manufacturer having a capacity of 10 MW p.a. The company also has a high-quality module manufacturing line with an installed capacity of 10 MW and 28 MW in manual line and automated line respectively.
MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) has issued a notification to install 25GW capacity each in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and Khavada in Gujarat.it termed this project as “ultra mega renewable energy parks”.
The land will be made available to developers for setting up solar plants, wind, and solar-wind hybrid projects. India’s defense ministry will also be involved in this project as these are border-regions.
In a letter Amitesh Kumar Sinha, the joint secretary, Government of India (GoI), said that these ultra-mega parks had received necessary clearances of the Ministry of Defense and the respective state governments.
The MNRE has requested the Ministry of Power to strengthen the transmission infrastructure to these locations for the evacuation of power from these parks within 2 years. But there is no clarity of whether they are solar or wind or wind-solar hybrid projects as details are still not available in the public domain.
Previously, In the country’s 2020 national budget, MNRE’s hiked its funding, with an annual increase of INR 57.53 billion.
Rooftop Solar Installations Fall 25 % to 389 MW in Apr-Jun: Report
Yellow Door Energy, a leading sustainable energy provider for businesses, has commissioned a 5.5 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar park for Classic Fashion Apparel Industry Co. Ltd. (“Classic Fashion”).
Located in Al-Mafraq, Jordan and covering an area of 143,000 square meters, this massive solar park will generate 12,500 megawatt-hours of clean energy in the first year of operation, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by 8,750 tonnes.
Ramdas Shreedharan Nair, CEO at Classic Fashion, commented: “Classic Fashion is committed to being a responsible business and a preferred vendor to its business partners. Since 2015, we have been working on various projects connected with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the Jordan Government’s Vision 2025 program. Clean energy is an integral part of our sustainability strategy, thus we have established a strategic partnership with Yellow Door Energy. We look forward to achieving more, working together”.
Jeremy Crane, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Door Energy, commented: “We are proud to support Classic Fashion in its cost reduction targets and sustainability objectives. We hope our solar park in Al-Mafraq will inspire other leading businesses in Jordan to switch to clean energy. Together, we can advance the sustainable energy transition.”
The Al-Mafraq solar park operates under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) wheeling agreement, which is a form of project financing wherein a private entity receives a concession from the private or public sector to finance, design, construct, own, and operate a facility stated in the contract. As the BOOT solar provider, Yellow Door Energy is responsible for investing in, designing, building, commissioning, operating and maintaining the solar park.
Jordan is a leader in the Middle East for its rapid adoption of renewable energy. By the end of 2020, one-fifth of the country’s energy will be generated through renewables, as stated by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in April 2019.
Alectris, the global asset care innovation provider for the solar industry, has collaborated with Profergy, a specialist integrator of software solutions for the renewable sector, to bring its ACTIS ERP product to the Australian market for the first time. With decades of software integration experience, Profergy will represent Alectris to provide sales and deployment of ACTIS ERP for local customers.
Australia is a pivotal region for renewable energy growth, as it shifts from a reliance on coal power to increasing market penetration from renewable energy including utility and domestic solar projects. But with new rules applied by the Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO) on transmission reliability and grid stability, there is increasing importance placed not only on being able to understand the performance and output of clean energy projects, but also the effective management of project compliance with evolving grid protocols.
ACTIS ERP, developed by Alectris, integrates all data and business process information into one place, providing a centralised hub for monitoring, ticketing and technical and financial asset management. The platform is used globally to automate crucial asset management activity, increasing efficiency and reducing costs across the board. As solar portfolios grow in Australia amidst new regulations, ACTIS scales with businesses to accommodate growing data and process needs.
Vassilis Papaeconomou, Managing Director of Alectris said: “The Australian market offers a significant opportunity for renewables, but under recent regulatory change, there is short term pressure in ensuring that owners and operators run their assets in compliance with the latest rulings on performance reliability. We pride ourselves in consistently elevating the productivity of assets and streamlining processes, saving our customers both time and money. Originally developed to solve our own asset management needs across live project scenarios, we understand the crucial importance of operations and maintenance in the context of the wider project. With the added support of software specialist, Profergy, we are confident that the full benefits of ACTIS ERP will be realised for owner-operators.”
Matt Stubbs, CEO of Profergy, said: “Alectris’ significant industry experience has grown into data and services, resulting in an exciting software platform. We are confident that ACTIS ERP will be of significant benefit to the Australian market, particularly considering the regional challenges. As experts in integrating digital solutions to support end-to-end project management, we are looking forward to rolling out this service to customers looking to transform their renewable business operations.”
Oikocredit Invests $5 Million in Yellow to Support Growth of Solar Home Systems in Africa
EESL recently completed 10 years and It’s enforced initiatives have aggregately led to a reduction of more than 46 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings of more than 58 billion kWh across the globe. During the event Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director said that Energy Efficient Services Ltd (EESL) has forayed into solar power generation and By the end of 2020-21 it plans to set up 1.5 GW of decentralized solar power plants across the country.
“EESL has already operationalized 100 MW out of 800 MW of solar power which was mandated by the Maharashtra government and Rajasthan has given EESL the mandate to set up 113 MW of solar distributed generation projects,” Kumar added.
Kumar informed that, In Maharashtra, EESL is supplying electricity at 3.10 per unit to agriculture feeders, with land for the project being provided by the state whereas, In Rajasthan, the company will supply power at 3.90 per unit along with land acquisition cost. Kumar stated that the company will not install solar capacity of more than 10 MW at one location but In each substation, it will add solar power plants ranging from 0.5 MW to 10 MW. The decentralized solar plants will meet the requirements of farmers connected to the agriculture feeder.
He further said that EESL has installed 1.1 million smart meters in New Delhi Municipal Corp area, Haryana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and Over the next few years, EESL has set a target of installing 250 million smart meters.
During its 10 years, the company had enjoyed exponential growth, with offices chains across India, UK, South Asia, Middle East, and South-East Asia. It has seen its revenue grow at a CAGR of 114.96 % from Rs 26 crore in FY 2013-14 to Rs 2,565 crore in FY 2018-19
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has designated National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) as the renewable energy implementing agency to enable long-term access (LTA) and application of connectivity in the interstate transmission system network.
Previously, the CERC released procedural regulations for granting ISTS connectivity to renewable energy projects. It was informed that the connectivity application would be processed in two stages. Those developers who were interested in establishing renewable generation projects and had a minimum capacity of 50 MW were asked to apply for connectivity.
The central body also issued regulations to lay down procedures, the broad principles, and processes to be followed for the planning and development of the ISTS network for the smooth flow of electricity from generating stations to the load centers. These regulations were anticipated. to help in the development of ISTS in India. For the growth of solar and wind ISTS is of utmost importance as all areas do not have the same solar potential or land availability.
A renewable energy implementing agency is a company or an institution designated by the central or state government to act as a mediator procurer to select and buy power from renewable energy generating stations and sell it to one or more distribution licensees. For those projects which are based on standalone storage sources of installed capacity of 50 MW or above, the agency can act as a facilitator, according to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
NTPC has also been focusing on renewable power, especially solar besides thermal power production. NTPC has about 2.1 GW capacity which is currently under development and 875 MW of large-scale solar projects which are in operation.
The new Q1 2020 bankability analysis has now been completed by the PV-Tech market research team, ranking PV module suppliers within the PV ModuleTech Bankability Ratings. The listing reveals that LONGi Solar now commands AAA-Rated status, the highest grade achievable.
The new Q1 2020 bankability analysis has now been completed by the PV-Tech market research team, ranking PV module suppliers within the PV ModuleTech Bankability Ratings. The listing reveals that LONGi Solar now commands AAA-Rated status, the highest grade achievable. A further seven module suppliers are in the AA and A bands and four suppliers fall into the B levels.
This article reveals the new ratings grades for leading global module suppliers, based on the proprietary bankability methodology established by our in-house research team during 2019, and outlined across a series of articles on PV-Tech accessible via links within the final piece here.
The updated quarterly analysis also now features module suppliers meeting the requirements for the top-rated ‘C’ bands (CCC). A total of 28 module suppliers are now covered from AAA to CCC. All other module suppliers are currently scoring lower, in the CC and C (lowest) grades.
The full analysis of each of these 28 module suppliers is contained within the new PV ModuleTech Bankability Ratings Quarterly report; details on how to access this report can be obtained through the link here.
LONGi AAA status stimulated by industry-leading financial health
When we undertook the research to derive the necessary methodology to derive company-specific bankability scores (quarterly, between 0 and 10) and grades (AAA to C), it was clear that financial health had to dominate manufacturing strength, as the single most important metric. This was explained in detail when we discussed the methodology online last year, and especially across the finance-based part of the model used, and discussed in the article here.
Even without doing the necessary statistical analysis, and comparing historic direct observables going back 10 years for module suppliers to the industry, it is not rocket-science to say that financial stability is the single most important factor in supplier bankability (ahead of shipments, ahead of one-off module testing).
We have noted in the past few months that, in order to be A or B level graded, shipment volumes (specific to non-residential segments globally) now have to be at the multi-GW level. What then largely determines the ranking of the multi-GW suppliers is heavily impacted by financial performance of the module suppliers, or their controlling parent entity (guarantor).
One of the key issues that emerges in doing the analysis each quarter is the dependence of each company (parent entity) on module revenues/profitability.
Everyone knows that module supply is a cutthroat business proposition: constantly trying to keep COGS values 10-20% lower than module ASPs. Few module suppliers today have stand-alone module operations that are highly profitable, with gross margin performance at the 15-20% being almost heroic now, and the domain of a small handful.
Running a business with gross margins here is tough going. This is typically translating to operating margins in the low-to-mid single-digits, and invariably going into the red when anything unforeseen happens or one-off charges hit the P&L (as tends to happen more often than not in solar).
Therefore, almost by default, it is extremely hard to operate pure-play as a PV module supplier and have anything other than above-average financial health. The list of PV module suppliers that have fought trying to establish non-module supply revenue streams is vast, and very few have succeeded in this regard. Today, JinkoSolar, First Solar and Canadian Solar are the stand-out exceptions to the rule, with Canadian Solar also benefiting from instant-cash generation on tap owing to its ability to run a profitable downstream PV business alongside manufacturing (a rarity).
The ideal would appear to have module revenues somewhere in the region of 30-50% of reporting group turnover. This level allows two things that are key to being a top-rated bankable module supplier, and I will explain each of these now.
A module business that is below the 30% lower-bound of the 30-50% band noted above tends to relegate module supply business to reduced status at the company level.
For example, if module business is, say, only 1-2% of company turnover (as an extreme), then it can happily exist as loss-making so long as the company’s core business is profitable. This is how many of the Japanese and Korean companies over the years have run module operations. The business mode here essentially prevents doing what is essential internally to be PV-profitable, make needed capex/R&D investments annually, or keeping up with the rapidly moving technology/performance curve. Knowing at any time, an easy decision can be made to exit PV is not reassuring from a module buyer standpoint.
Having module operations that are significantly above 50% of turnover ultimately takes us to the pure-play scenario that I discussed above (at the other end/extreme of importance). It is great to ship 10 GW of modules each year, when making any operating profits. Conversely, if costs are above ASPs, the more that is shipped, the higher the losses; things can go from good to bad very quickly here, and the industry has many casualties over the years in this regard.
Being in the 30-50% range of turnover seems to allow for module business to remain a key priority, but also creates the space for other revenue streams to (ideally) be highly profitable. Today, there is only one company doing this with a good level of perfection: LONGi Solar. This – in addition to module shipment levels trending at around the 10-GW-level – forms the basis for the company being the only AAA-Rated module supplier in the industry today. Let me explain more now.
Benchmarking LONGi Solar
To illustrate how LONGi Solar is operating a differentiated business model to the other A and B rated module suppliers, let’s have a look at a couple of graphics now.
The first graph below looks at the twelve A and B level graded module suppliers in Q1’20, and shows the percentage of business coming from module sales. For reference here, we are using trailing 3-quarter averages to smooth out any lumps/seasonality or one-off effects. Also, module sales are for both third-party and in-house shipments; for in-house shipments, we use the prevailing external ASPs for any intra-company sales of modules. This allows us to capture ‘true’ module sales revenues.
Having an over-dependence on module business can often lead to the downfall of PV module suppliers. Conversely, if module business is not critical to overall company operations, the module business can often run loss-making or be shuttered with no great effect. A sweet-spot appears to be when module sales comprise about 30-50% of group turnover, with the other part of the business being more profitable and sustainable.
The vertical region above shows the 30-50% sweet-spot for module share of revenues. Except for LONGi, we anonymize all other module suppliers here, although some of these are fairly easy to second-guess.
This shows that most of the leading, most-bankable module suppliers today are heavily dependent on running a profitable module sales operations. Most are running at 70-100% of revenues coming from modules. Again – great when things going well, but nothing to fall back on when something unexpected happens.
The second graph looks at a benchmarked profitability metric; in this case operating income divided by total assets, for each company. Again, the graph shows the 12 module suppliers in the A/B bands, and uses trailing 3-quarter averages.
Looking across all A and B rated module suppliers today, LONGi is clear stand-out in terms of profitability. This is coming also at a time when the company is spending record capex levels and has a 5-year plan to further dominate wafer supply, and being a top-3 global module player.
The above graph shows clearly why we believe that LONGi’s model today is unique among the multi-GW module suppliers to the industry, and is implicit in the company being AAA-Rated today. The big question that should be on everyone’s lips right now, at this point in the article is: how is LONGi doing this?
Here, the answer is very simple: mono wafers. Anyone that has been reading my commentaries on PV-Tech during the past decade will know my thoughts here, but let’s summarize again.
LONGi invested wisely, in a timely manner, and with total conviction that PV technology would change from multi-wafer dominant to mono-wafer dominant. Furthermore, the company (as it turns out correctly) ignored all the learned third-party research firms that forecasted weak long-term industry deployment growth.
LONGi’s strategy has played out to perfection, and the company now is cashing in on being the number-1 ingot/wafer producer/supplier to a mono-dominant sector; more importantly, profits selling wafers are (still) extremely attractive and there is nothing to suggest this will change going forward at all.
Of course, there is a great deal of benefit having any non-module revenue stream (>50% sales) that is reliable and highly-profitable and with great growth opportunity. It is even better if this business model is synergistic with module sales fortunes. Contrast this, for example, with many Chinese module suppliers, even at the GW-plus annual level, where non-solar business units are in completely different sectors.
The Q1 2020 Bankability Pyramid
When we released the first PV ModuleTech Bankability Ratings at the end of 2019, the hierarchy was best visualized in a pyramid form. The full list of the 28 module suppliers at CCC-Rating and above for Q1’20 is shown below now.
There are 8 module suppliers today in the A-rated bands. Most of the module suppliers in the industry still fall into the highest-risk/lowest-bankability grade bands of C and CC.
While LONGi has moved from AA to AAA in the past few months, other AA-Rated suppliers (JinkoSolar, Canadian Solar and First Solar) remain unchanged, as do several of the A-Rated suppliers such as JA Solar, Trina Solar, Risen Energy and Hanwha Q CELLS.
Of the A-Rated listing, both JA Solar and Trina Solar appear to have turned the corner now, following the ‘reset-years’ of 2018-2019. Announcements from each of these companies since the start of the year (related to capex), coupled with strong 2H’19 shipments, suggest that both JA Solar and Trina Solar will be moving back into AA-Rating territory later in 2020 (assuming no major impact on finances during 2020).
Ongoing validation of the PV ModuleTech Bankability Ratings analysis
Over the past few months, we have undertaken further improvements in the Bankability methodology that appears to give better visibility into company ratings and fortunes 2-3 quarters out. Essentially, this is done by setting the scaling/product constants in the bankability equation on a quarterly basis, as opposed to having fixed values applied to any quarter (historic, current and future. This also replaces the need to apply percentiles that were discussed before. Basically, this is allowing us to use the model to forecast metrics 2-3 quarters out from now, which offers greater scope for validation.
Over the next few months, ahead of the Q2’20 release/analysis, we will be completing the analysis on many of the suppliers in the CC-Rated band. This is very much a mixed bag, and for large utilityscale global projects, few if any of these suppliers are ever short-listed as a viable candidate.
It remains (rightly) the case that large utility-scale projects are the domain of multi-GW module suppliers. The industry is still awash with sub-GW capacity (much lower production) module suppliers that are either country-specific or dealing with rooftop markets and having installer/distributor networks. For clarity again, we remove residential/small-rooftop shipments from our bankability analysis. Even before any analysis is needed on financial operations, most PV module suppliers are firmly C-Rated owing to very low non-residential shipment volumes.
To be in the top-20 or so in terms of bankability, it is also necessary to have GW-plus annual shipments (non-residential); for the A/B grades, this increases to multi-GW. It has been an ongoing question we have had since we released the rankings from ‘smaller’ module suppliers that are also normally regional/rooftop focused and why they are not rated A or B, or even listed. This comes back mainly to low non-residential shipments.
In 2019, the company broke the world record for the conversion efficiency of N-type monocrystalline and N-type cast-mono i-TOPCon solar cells, while continuing to promote multi-busbar, double-glass, bifacial and other advanced module technologies, leading the PV industry in terms of technical advantages. In August, Trina Solar took the initiative in developing modules that deploy the 210mm silicon wafer (210 modules), in line with industry trends. Based on decades of R&D and manufacturing experience, the company introduced a unique three-piece and multi-busbar design for large-size modules. The first 210 module prototype rolled off the company’s production line in early 2020, greatly accelerating time-to-market for large-size modules.
The company’s TrinaPro solution business witnessed rapid growth in 2019. TrinaPro features a selection of Trina Solar’s high-efficiency modules, which, combined with an intelligent bifacial tracker algorithm and a 1500V intelligent inverter, can effectively enhance overall system efficiency, reduce the levelized cost of electricity and win the favor of customers worldwide. Sales of the TrinaPro solution in the first three quarters of 2019 climbed to more than five times the figures for the whole of 2018. TrinaPro was deployed at several PV power installations that went into operation during 2019, including a Qinghai Golmud Solar Park and a PV facility in Marchihue, Chile, garnering high recognition from owners for excellent power generation and system reliability.
In 2019, the company invested in the construction of GW-level high-efficiency solar cell and module production facilities in Yiwu, Zhejiang and Suqian, Jiangsu in China, and signed framework agreements for the second phase of the projects, which, upon completion in 2020, will significantly increase the company’s capacity.
Trina Solar vice general manager and executive vice president Yin Rongfang said, “We are excited to see that Trina Solar’s module and solution business again achieved remarkable numbers in terms of shipments and received recognition from customers worldwide. In 2020, Trina Solar will continue developing its module and tracker businesses while expanding the breadth of its smart energy solutions and number of downstream projects. We also see great potential for combining PV and energy storage and have taken the initiative by investing in R&D to meet the expected demand. As an important player in and promoter of green energy applications, Trina Solar plans to continue maintaining steady growth while providing high-quality products and services to customers worldwide.”
The report provides a snapshot of Tunisia’s business environment, macroeconomic trends, and issues related to the country’s credit and political risk. At the workshop, SolarPower Europe also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tunisian Solar Installers’ Association (Chambre Syndicale du Photovoltaïque, CSPV).
Ali Kanzari, President of CSPV, said: “Solar resources in Tunisia are abundant. Combined with the proximity between Tunisia and southern Europe (180km), it makes a clear case for Tunisia to become a major provider of solar electricity for the European continent. This interconnection with Europe is no longer a fiction and should be accomplished by 2027. This will help the EU achieve its climate-neutrality goal, as well as give Tunisia access to Europe’s electricity spot market, which will support national demand during peak hours.”
Máté Heisz, Head of International Cooperation at SolarPower Europe, said: “The Emerging Markets Task Force continues its work shining a spotlight on solar opportunities outside of Europe. This new report shows that Tunisia has strong solar potential, which the government is increasingly harnessing. However, in order to effectively take advantage of this opportunity, the report issues a series of recommendations for investors, policymakers, and local stakeholders. We are also pleased to kick off our cooperation with CSPV, which will involve exchanging industry experience and knowledge, and ultimately boosting the energy transition in Tunisia and Europe.”
Antoine Poussard, Managing Partner MENA Region at Finergreen, said: “After a few years of strong commitment and support from the government, the Plan Solaire Tunisien is becoming a reality at a large scale, making Tunisia a strong renewable player in North Africa. The country managed to attract the best tariffs in all of Africa from prime global players on its concession auctions. The focus is now on successfully developing a market of mid-size projects to attract stakeholders (fund providers, developers, EPC contractors) from all over the world.”
Stefano Mantellassi, Vice-President Energy Solutions at Eni SpA, said: “Investors seeking renewable energy investment opportunities are increasingly looking at Tunisia as an attractive market. To satisfy growing electricity demand and meet its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Tunisia is stepping up its game to pursue its ambitious energy diversification strategy, promoting renewable energy development and energy efficiency. With an average horizontal irradiation of around 1,850 kWh/m2/year, the country has abundant solar resources. These resources are promisingly being developed to strengthen Tunisia’s energy independence, while also being leveraged for exporting clean electricity to Europe, creating value and jobs locally.”
On 25 February, SolarPower Europe, together with the Tunisian Ministry for Industry, National Agency for Energy (ANME), the Tunisian Energy Utility (STEG), the German development cooperation (GIZ) and CSPV, also launched the Tunisian edition of the “Operation and Maintenance Best Practice Guidelines”.
SolarPower Europe’s Emerging Markets Task Force identifies business and cooperation opportunities in emerging markets outside of Europe, with the aim of contributing to energy transitions around the world. The report on Tunisia is the seventh in a series of market reports – previous reports cover Mozambique, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, and India.
Dominion Energy Virginia received approval from the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to move forward with four battery storage pilot projects to pave the way for additional energy storage technology needed to support the company’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon and methane emissions by 2050, increase in renewables and to improve grid reliability.
The four utility-scale battery storage pilot projects totaling 16 megawatts are the largest projects of their kind in Virginia. The company will utilize lithium-ion batteries, like those found in electric vehicles, to better understand how this emerging technology can be integrated into various applications to benefit our customers.
These projects are enabled by the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018, which allows Dominion Energy to invest in up to 30 megawatts of battery storage pilot projects. As the company continues to increase its solar fleet – currently the fourth-largest of any utility holding company in the nation – and build out its offshore wind development off the coast of Virginia Beach, the company is looking for new and innovative ways to store the renewable energy it produces to maintain reliable service to customers.
“Dominion Energy will pilot these 16 megawatts of battery storage to better understand how best to deploy batteries across our system to integrate renewables and provide grid reliability by filling gaps due to the inherent intermittency of solar and wind power,” said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energy’s vice president of generation construction. “These pilot projects will also help us learn how to incorporate this emerging technology into our overall strategy to achieve net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions.”
“Energy storage is emerging as a critical component to meeting our customers’ needs and providing continued grid stability,” said Joe Woomer, Dominion Energy’s vice president of grid and technical solutions. “Experience from these pilot projects will enable storage to complement or serve as an alternative to traditional grid enhancements needed to maintain reliable service for our customers as we work to integrate renewables and improve grid resiliency.”
The four Central Virginia-based projects will cost approximately $33 million to construct and will provide key information on distinct use cases for batteries on the energy grid. The pilots will be evaluated over a five-year period once operational, currently expected to be in first quarter of 2021.
Two battery systems totaling 12 megawatts at the Scott Solar facility in Powhatan County will provide valuable information on the proficiency of battery technology to store energy generated from solar panels during periods of high production and release energy during periods when load is high or solar generation is low. It would also reveal how well a battery can optimize power production of the solar facility.
A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in the Town of Ashland, Hanover County will bolster the existing grid capacity to serve customers during times of high energy demand without the need to engage in wholesale equipment upgrades.
A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in New Kent County serving a 20-megawatt solar facility will demonstrate how batteries can help manage voltage and loading issues caused by reverse energy flow, to maintain stable power delivery to our customers.
China’s leading solar technology company LONGi announced that it had recently signed a contract with Atlas Renewable Energy to supply 122MW of Hi-MO4 bifacial modules for one of its projects in Chile.
LONGi has pioneered bifacial module technology in PV, promoting applications in solar plants on barren grass, sand, cement, snow and flat roofs. Depending on surface reflectivity, bifacial modules can deliver power generation gain of 7-25% over equivalent monofacial panels.
Patrick Valentin, Head of Strategic Sourcing at Atlas Renewable Energy, said: “We are pleased to select LONGi as one of our project partners. Implementing LONGi’s state-of-the-art technology in bifacials is a further representation of Atlas Renewable Energy’s strong commitment to technology innovations. It also aligns well with our mindset of partnering with great companies in the PV industry that are bringing the technologies of the future. We aim to always provide the most competitive solutions for our projects and clients in order to fulfill our mission to deliver reliable and cost-efficient clean energy to Latin America.”
“We are very pleased to partner with a leading company such as Atlas Renewable Energy. This is a great step forward for LONGi as we develop the solar market in Latin America. With this strategic partnership, LONGi and Atlas Renewable Energy are confident to deliver high-performance PV products and contribute to the energy transformation in Latin America,” Richard For, Vice President of LONGi Solar, said.
Since the launch in early 2017, LONGi bifacial products have accumulated a wealth of application cases around the world, and their product reliability has been verified in pilot projects and independent third-party tests. In May 2019, LONGi introduced its next generation bifacial module, Hi-MO4, based on the new M6 silicon wafers, once again leading the development of bifacial technology into a new era.
LONGi reported that the company has, to date, the world’s largest shipment of bifacial modules in the PV industry with cumulative shipment over 3GW as of 2019.
