A consortium of solar module, cell and wafer manufacturers have proposed to standardise 210mm product sizes in a bid to achieve the “best possible scale” for the solar industry.
In a statement issued late last week, eight manufacturers joined forces to propose a series of wafer, cell and module sizes and layouts that they say should become the industry standard for 210mm modules moving forward.
Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis
Photovoltaics International is now included.
- Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
- In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
- Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
- Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
- Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
- Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual
Or continue reading this article for free
Those manufacturers include Trina Solar, Risen Energy, Canadian Solar, Huansheng Photovoltaic (Jiangsu), Tongwei, Runergy, Zhonghuan Semiconductor and Wuxi Shangji.
“Through the standardisation of silicon wafers to 210mm as well as module size, the industry will achieve the best possible scale, and empower all businesses to improve production efficiency, optimise supply, and drive technological innovation,” the statement read.
The manufacturers have also claimed that in standardising now, with 210mm wafer and module manufacturing set to ramp over the coming years, the level of initial investment required will be lower, decreasing the overall cost of solar generation.
The sizes proposed include a selection of 210mm, +/- 0.25mm, as the standard size of silicon wafers for the 210 – 220mm size range under the SEMI Photovoltaic Standards, while a set of desired measurements and layouts for modules has also been put forward.
The consortium is pushing for two industry standard silicon wafer sizes, with diameters of 295mm or 285mm, while two specific module sizes have been included, one featuring 120 half-cut cells and another featuring 132 half-cut cells.
The standardised 120-cell module holds dimensions of 2172 x 1303mm, while the 132-cell module is slightly taller at 2384mm, with the same width.
