The product is selling well overseas and setting a new world record! Vigorous Enterprises in China's Photovoltaic Industry | Technology | China
In the first half of this year, the development momentum of China's photovoltaic industry was strong, and all links in the industrial chain achieved high-speed growth.
In the first half of the year, the development of the photovoltaic industry was full of vitality
The latest data shows that in the first half of this year, the installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation in China continued to grow rapidly, with an additional capacity of 78.42 million kilowatts, accounting for 56% of the total installed capacity of new power sources in the country. As of the end of June, the cumulative installed capacity of photovoltaic power generation was about 470 million kilowatts, surpassing hydropower to become the second largest power source in China's installed capacity, second only to coal-fired power.
At the same time, the amount of photovoltaic power generation is also constantly increasing, and the overall consumption and utilization of photovoltaic power generation remain at a high level. In the first half of the year, the cumulative photovoltaic power generation reached 266.3 billion kilowatt hours, a year-on-year increase of about 30%, and the average utilization rate was about 98%.
In addition, the investment scale of photovoltaic power generation is also constantly increasing. In the first half of the year, China's completed investment in photovoltaic power generation exceeded 130 billion yuan, accounting for about 50% of the total investment in renewable energy, effectively promoting economic growth.
Jiang Hua, Deputy Secretary General of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association: Currently, China's photovoltaic industry ranks first in the world in terms of market size, technological level, production and manufacturing, and industrial chain improvement. Its role in the economy and society is becoming increasingly prominent. This year, multiple million level photovoltaic bases are accelerating construction to further promote stable economic growth.
What makes "hot selling" photovoltaics popular overseas
In the first half of this year, the total export value of photovoltaic products reached 28.92 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 11.6%. What does rapid industrial growth rely on? Follow the reporter to explore the photovoltaic industry.
When the reporter arrived at a photovoltaic production base in Haining, Zhejiang, the staff were busy loading boxes of photovoltaic modules onto trucks, which were about to be shipped to a power station project in China. In the first half of this year, the year-on-year growth rate of the shipment and export volume of enterprise photovoltaic modules exceeded 100%, and the production base also underwent large-scale expansion. In the production workshop, an all black photovoltaic module caught the attention of reporters.
In the past, the appearance of photovoltaic modules was either black and white inlaid, or they may have uneven colors from different angles. However, this all black module uses the latest design technology, presenting a uniform black color no matter from which angle it is observed. After installation, it can perfectly blend with the body of the house, looking like a common roof. Therefore, as soon as this product was launched, it sold well in overseas markets such as Europe and Japan, becoming a "bestseller".
Liu Guyan, General Manager of Chint Xinneng Haining Base: This product perfectly combines high power, high efficiency, and high appearance. When we scheduled our production plan at the end of last month, we were all scheduling at full capacity, with almost no spare capacity.
Continuously launching innovative products to lead market demand, while increasing research and development investment to continuously improve the solar energy conversion efficiency of products. The person in charge introduced that currently, the production scale of the enterprise ranks second in the industry, and the technology is also at a leading level. As of the first half of the year, the company's component production capacity reached 25GW, with a shipment volume of 11.5GW, a year-on-year increase of 109%.
Chairman of Chint New Energy, Lu Chuan: In the early days, due to the high cost of photovoltaic products, the country timely introduced corresponding subsidy policies. With the technological innovation in the past two years, the direct power generation cost of photovoltaics has become cheaper than thermal power in most places, making today's photovoltaics not only widely used in China, but also the most demanded and competitive product globally.
Innovation collaboration constantly breaks world records
While exports are strong, the growth rate of the photovoltaic manufacturing industry remains at a relatively high level. In the first half of this year, the newly installed photovoltaic power in China has been basically equivalent to the entire year last year, accounting for 56% of the total newly installed power. From the manufacturing perspective, the production of polycrystalline silicon, silicon wafers, batteries, and components in China has reached a new high, with a year-on-year increase of over 65%. How can the photovoltaic manufacturing industry maintain growth vitality? The common answer obtained by reporters during their visits to major photovoltaic companies is "innovation".
Not long ago, at the Munich Solar Photovoltaic Exhibition in Germany, a Chinese company, certified by European solar testing institutions, achieved a conversion efficiency of 33.5% for crystalline silicon perovskite stacked batteries, once again breaking the world record for battery conversion efficiency.
This technological breakthrough originated from a research team of over 40 people. The reporter arrived at the research and development laboratory of the team, where researchers were conducting luminescence spectroscopy tests on the newly prepared materials to understand their defect distribution and electronic properties.
The efficiency of solar photovoltaic cells is the core of photovoltaic technology innovation, however, there is a theoretical efficiency limit of about 29.4% for single crystal silicon cells. Previously, the R&D team had set a world record for global silicon battery efficiency of 26.81%. Considering factors such as mass production, this is actually very close to the actual limit that materials can reach. To further utilize light energy and seek new technological routes, it is imperative for R&D personnel to innovate and develop crystalline silicon perovskite stacking technology.
Liu Jiang, a technical expert at Longji Green Energy Research Institute, said that by adding a layer of wide bandgap perovskite material on top of the original crystalline silicon solar cell, this structure can more fully and effectively utilize visible light energy. Through the stacking technology route, its theoretical maximum efficiency can further reach 43%.
Whether it is crystalline silicon or perovskite materials, the theoretical conversion efficiency of a single battery cannot exceed 30%. However, through stacking, it can break through 40%, which is equivalent to achieving a perfect combination of "1+1 greater than 2". However, achieving such technological breakthroughs is not easy. Due to the lack of much experience to learn from in the relevant technical routes both domestically and internationally, this means that from equipment to technology, and even to material development, it is necessary to explore from scratch.
The preparation of perovskite materials alone takes more than ten hours at a time, and every 0.1% increase in battery efficiency often involves the exploration and experimentation of hundreds of materials.
Nowadays, the R&D team is constantly breaking their own world records. From the end of last year to June 14th this year, the team increased the conversion efficiency from 29.55% to 33.5%, achieving an absolute increase of 3.95% in the past six months. Behind the achievements are not only the efforts of R&D personnel day and night, but also the strong support for the development of the entire industry chain in China's photovoltaic industry.
He Bo, Technical Director of Longji Green Energy Research Institute: Especially in the research and development process, we deeply feel the importance of this collaborative innovation. In fact, a large number of devices are customized. In terms of raw materials, there are also many domestic suppliers working with us to develop new materials suitable for our stacked battery.
Gathering Chains and Pursuing Light to Build a New Highland in the Photovoltaic Industry
The growth of any enterprise cannot be separated from the continuous improvement and enhancement of the entire industry chain. It is understood that China has become the country with the most cost competitive manufacturing of all components in the photovoltaic supply chain. Nowadays, the cultivation of the entire photovoltaic industry chain is still accelerating.
This company, located in Lai'an County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, is a high-tech enterprise engaged in the research and development and manufacturing of high-efficiency solar cells. It just settled in Chuzhou at the beginning of last year, with a total investment of 12.6 billion yuan in two phases of an 18GW project. From signing the contract to production, it only took one year. The reporter saw that in the production workshop of the enterprise, the fully automated intelligent manufacturing production line is operating efficiently, with unmanned vehicles loaded with newly produced battery cells shuttling through the workshop.
Ouyang Jianbo, Base Manager of Anhui Chuzhou Jietai New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: We are currently in a state of full production and sales, producing approximately 6.2 million battery cells per day. It is expected that the sales revenue in the first half of this year will exceed 6.5 billion yuan, and the sales revenue for the entire year is expected to be over 12 billion yuan.
The rapid landing of this enterprise is just a microcosm of the development of Chuzhou's photovoltaic industry. According to statistics, so far, there are 32 photovoltaic manufacturing enterprises in Chuzhou with a single investment of over 5 billion yuan. With these leading enterprises settling down one after another, various upstream and downstream enterprises such as components, frames, and backboards have also emerged.
L ü Shusheng, Manager of the Comprehensive Management Department of Anhui Chuzhou Hamps New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Our company is in the middle position of solar photovoltaic power generation. The development in Chuzhou is based on the advantages of Chuzhou's industrial chain. There are no less than 20-30 upstream and downstream enterprises related to our company, many of which are leading enterprises. Collaborating with these upstream and downstream enterprises can improve our cooperation efficiency, while greatly reducing our warehousing and logistics costs.
Nowadays, in Chuzhou, the supply of partition walls has gradually become the norm in the photovoltaic industry. The reporter came to the local development and reform department and saw a "photovoltaic industry chain map", which clearly shows what is missing in the industry chain and where weak links are.
Ding Shilei, Deputy Director of the Development and Reform Commission of Chuzhou City, Anhui Province: The real box represents the key photovoltaic enterprises we have already recruited, the dashed box represents the enterprises to be recruited, and the blank is the weak link. Intensify attraction efforts and focus on building a vertically integrated photovoltaic industry chain with a large industrial scale, multiple leading enterprises, and a sound industrial ecosystem.
In order to make enterprises willing to come and stay, local assistance teams have also been established in various counties and districts, actively visiting and communicating with enterprises to solve difficulties encountered in their development. From project implementation to production, from finance to talent, from expansion to listing, they provide full process support and guarantee to enterprises.
Zhang Zhishan, Director of the Enterprise Assistance Center in Lai'an County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province: We have selected frontline cadres who understand the photovoltaic industry and economic operation, and established a one industry one policy, one enterprise one policy assistance plan, with a focus on industry early warning, power supply guarantee, and human resource allocation. Establish a green channel for handling photovoltaic enterprise demands, ensuring that enterprises can start businesses with peace of mind and develop comfortably.
As of now, nearly 120 key projects in the photovoltaic industry have been implemented and are under discussion in Chuzhou. Among the top 20 global photovoltaic enterprises, 9 have already settled in Chuzhou. In the first half of this year, the output value of the photovoltaic industry in the city was 60 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 65%.
Ding Shilei, Deputy Director of the Development and Reform Commission of Chuzhou City, Anhui Province: Next, Chuzhou City will closely focus on the goal of building a world photovoltaic capital, further accelerate the deep integration of the funding chain, talent chain, innovation chain, and policy chain, and promote the improvement and efficiency of the city's photovoltaic industry.
The photovoltaic industry drives economic growth
It is precisely based on the advantages of cultivating the entire industry chain and technological innovation that the development vitality of China's photovoltaic industry continues to emerge. In the first half of this year, whether in the manufacturing, application, export trade, or investment sectors, the entire industry showed a vigorous development trend and played an important role in promoting China's economic growth.
