China PV Assn Head Declares 600W Panels Key To Carbon Neutrality

Gao Jifan, the honorary President of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, and also Chairman of Trina Solar, said that the high power 600W+ PV industry will play a critical role in helping China achieve its goals of achieving a CO2 emissions peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Gao was speaking at the recently concluded SNEC show in Shanghai, the largest industry event in Solar worldwide, which was hit by lower international participation this year due to travel restrictions.

“The key to accomplishing the goal of carbon neutrality lies in giving precedence to wind and PV power, while minimizing or even eradicating thermal power,” Gao said in his address at the expo.

Gao talked of market trends and the latest technological achievements and the way to carbon neutrality, and said new-energy industries are more important than ever before. Alliances have already come in place for support to large module sizes and related equipment suppliers.

Renowned experts, academics, business leaders, heads of government and industry associations and other senior figures gathered to exchange views and share their experience and insight.

Talking of the historic opportunities for the PV industry Gao set out his vision for its growth.

“Industry coordination with mutual innovation and shared benefits will create a new, customer-centric industry ecosystem that will help achieve carbon neutrality,” he said.

The vision was already being realized, he said. Last year Trina Solar unveiled its 600W Vertex module series and strongly advocated deep end-to-end supply chain integration and innovation. The company led dozens of other companies to jointly found the 600W+ PV Open Innovation Ecological Alliance, which has taken the lead in promoting the high-quality growth of the 600W+ PV industry, Gao said.

The 600W+ PV industry chain drives technological innovation and harnesses the strengths of each segment while coordinating the supply chain, he said. It also promotes standardization and wards off potential risks from excessive overlapping investment in same-class technology as the industry is upgraded, he said.

The alliance now has 78 companies as members, covering the whole supply chain, including silicon wafers, cells, system integration processes and certification bodies. The aim is to restructure the supply chain into a new and complete ecosystem, Gao said,

“This opens new avenues for reducing LCOE and pushes the industry faster toward carbon neutrality both in China and worldwide.”

Trina Solar says it expects more rapid growth based on 600W+ advanced technology.

While Larger modules offer predictable benefits, the market for ‘smaller’ modules remains, as they offer more adaptable design opportunities, and when combined with  higher efficiency, can work much better in specific situations.