The recent announcement from India’s Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) to approve a 12GW solar scheme for central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) – crucially mandating the use of domestically sourced solar cells and modules – represents the first key step towards India finally creating a route to stimulate multi-GW expansions for new cell and module facilities.
Specialist semiconductor and PV equipment supplier Intevac has said that it finally recognised into revenue on three of four ‘ENERGi’ solar ion implant tools, which had already been shipped to a PV manufacturing customer in China in the third quarter of 2017.
Leading ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has highlighted success using new LeTID (Light elevated Temperature Induced Degradation) testing standards in minimising performance losses in its P-type mono-PERC and N-type monocrystalline solar cells.
Hanergy Thin Film Power Group has claimed a new conversion efficiency record for an N-type monocrystalline heterojunction solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 24.23%.
‘Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) leader JinkoSolar has achieved a record conversion efficiency of 24.2% for a large-area N-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cell, verified by the Photovoltaic and Wind Power Systems Quality Test Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
China-based PV module materials and N-type mono module manufacturer Jolywood (Suzhou) Sunwatt Co expects net profit in 2018 to be in arrange of 22.65% to 41.9% lower than in the previous year.
China-based integrated polysilicon and merchant cell manufacturer Tongwei Group has guided net profit in 2018 to be flat to slightly up on the previous year, despite rapid solar cell capacity expansions.
This article reveals the top 10 module suppliers of 2018, based purely on own-brand shipped module MWp-dc volumes. This ranking complements our recently published top 10 cell producers feature.
PV CellTech 2019 takes place in Penang, Malaysia on 12-13 March 2019, and once again will feature keynote presentations from CTOs and heads-of-R&D from the leading multi-GW cell producers of the industry in 2019.
Back in 2014, p-type mono PERC cell production was less than 1GW. During 2019, production is forecast to exceed 60GW as the dominant technology type deployed by the solar industry for module assembly.