Industry Updates

The rapid advent of the high-power module era has made the industry acutely aware of the new challenges presented by module technology. Based on the concept of maximizing customer profit at the system side, module product design is now gradually shifting toward the direction of large current. However, when module current increases to a certain level, it may bring with it some natural risks that cannot be ignored, together with the problem of power generation loss. These issues must be addressed by the industry, especially when it comes to quality and electrical safety risks involving products and systems.

The Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India is a natural solar hotspot and is home to 15MW of solar projects owned by Microtech Rollers, a manufacturer of forged and machined bearing races. The company commenced production in 1994 and has become an active advocate of renewables, with a firm commitment to lower its carbon footprint.

TrinaTracker has demonstrated the stable and efficient operation of its Vanguard product over a period of one year in a ±800 kV UHV DC Power Transmission Project in Qinghai-Henan, China.

Trina Solar has announced the grid connection of its 100 MW agricultural photovoltaic project in Luotian county, in China’s Hubei province.

LONGi has supplied the Chamalire School in Malawi with 20 solar panels, capable of reaching a peak power of 7,200W. Zikomo Africa, an NGO association in existence since 2006, executed the project, as part of its mission to aid development in Africa, particularly Malawi, by providing communities with infrastructure and training.

SOFARSOLAR has announced that its entire series of grid-connected inverters, from 75-136kW, has obtained VDE-AR-N 4105 certification. This is an important milestone for the company, since it not only underlines its strength in R&D and its leading position in the industry, but also lays a solid foundation for the rapid launch of its high-power string inverters into the German commercial and industrial market.

The 60 MWp Sembcorp Tengeh floating solar farm at Singapore’s Tengeh reservoir, one of the world’s largest inland floating PV systems, was officially opened in July. Owned by Sembcorp Floating Solar Singapore, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries and equipped with 122,000 Trina Solar 210 Vertex dual-glass modules, the farm is a global showcase for excellent operational performance, innovation and reliability. Construction of the project began in August last year.

LONGi has announced it has won an order from Eurowind Energy for the supply of 64 MW of its high-efficiency Hi-MO 5 modules for three projects in Portugal and Denmark, with the country split being 22 MW and 42 MW respectively, the latter across two hybrid projects.

With rising energy costs for minerals such as oil and coal and the reduction of subsidies for photovoltaic grid-tied systems, there is a strong need for uninterrupted and emergency power supply in mountainous areas and base stations with no power grid, resulting in grid-tied systems being the subject of significant interest. At the core of a grid-tied system, SOFARSOLAR’s HYD series integrated inverter has become a priority solution in many application scenarios.

LONGi has announced the completion of the exclusive supply of 477 MW of Hi-MO 4 modules for Sol do Sertão, the largest utility power plant in the Brazilian state of Bahia, as part of a sole source contract with Essentia Energia, a renewable energy firm created by Pátria Investimentos. The plant was connected to the national grid and started operation on July 19, 2021.