Energetica India Magazine December 2020

SOLAR POWER 43 energetica INDIA- December_2020 The significance of standardization of 210mm size silicon wafer Since the beginning of this year, the standardization of 182mm size first appeared in June. At that time, the silicon wafer size was only defined, and the module size that ultimately reflected customer value was not considered. (From the product specifications of the three main module manufacturers, the module sizes are 2274*1134; 2256*1133; 2285*1136). This time, the 210-camp represented by Trina Solar proposed the standardization of the advanced 210-size, including the specifications and recommendations for the size of silicon wafers and module design (whether double-glazed modules or backplane modules), suggesting no other sizes should be used in the range of 210mm-220mm. We know that the ultimate goal of the photovoltaic industry is to reduce the cost of electricity. The cost reduction effect of the 210mm size has been explained above. What is the cost reduction effect of standardization of 210- size? Through the standardization of 210mm size silicon wafer, the size of the silicon wafer and module etc., the industrial chain can achieve the best scale effect, powerfully help upstream and downstream enterprises improve production efficiency, optimize supply, and drive industry technological innovation, while reducing the cost of industry chain manufacturing, the initial investment of photovoltaic systems and LCOE (levelized cost of energy) of power generation, to achieve grid parity. The 210mm size silicon wafer and module size standardization proposition is the first-ever attempt for the industry to standardize the entire industry chain, including module products. This initiative is not only from the perspective of the industry chain, but also from the standpoints of the users. The unified module size effectively solves the pain points of customers, greatly reduces the uncertainty in the design process, and improves the efficiency while selecting racking structure, inverters, cables, combiner boxes, etc. and enhances the flexibility of module supply. At the same time, the installation efficiency of modules and racking structure can be improved, and the design and EPC costs can be reduced. It can be seen that the unified module size standard is the gospel of customers. After the size is standardized, when the investor has multiple power stations under construction, and the supply of modules cannot be ensured, there will be greater supply flexibility. The owner can have flexible deployment between projects or between each bidding section of a project according to the degree of project tension, without affecting the grid connection of the owner’s project. The standardized size can ensure the consistency of the mounting holes during the racking structure design , effectively speeding up the design and processing progress of the racking structure, and providing a guarantee for the rapid advancement of the owner’s project. Therefore the versatility of the racking structure is improved. When the project capacity has to be reduced due to external reasons, the racking structure purchased by the owner will not be wasted and can also be used for other projects. At the same time, the value of standardization is also reflected in the development, operation and maintenance of power stations , which is conducive to the reduction of the types of spare parts (modules, fuses, cables) on-site, and facilitates operation and maintenance management. It is more user-friendly and more versatile for projects that are preparing to use array automatic cleaning robots. It ensures accuracy during installation, and can reduce the rework, and the damage or impact on module performance. The significance of standardization is also reflected in the design of inverters, racking structure and trackers, and the financialization of optical power storage. The extreme cost reduction of the photovoltaic industry and the increase in the competitiveness of the price of solar storage power per kilowatt- hour will inevitably be accompanied by “standardization” for a long time. Based on the significant advantages of the 600W+ ultra-high power module system, the standardized module size will bring more long-term value to customers in the design of downstream power stations. From the perspective of the supply chain, standardization is beneficial to improve the stability of the supply chain