AS Published on Saturday 29 October 2022 - n° 422 - Categories:brochures
An overview of the main wafer manufacturers
Solar wafer production in China is becoming increasingly competitive, with new companies keen to capitalise on the strong demand for silicon wafers.
AS Published on Sunday 2 October 2022 - n° 418 - Categories:brochures
The wafer production system was redesigned by Fraunhofer ISE
A group of researchers led by Fraunhofer ISE has redesigned the wafer production system. By modifying or improving several steps, they have
L R AS Published on Saturday 10 September 2022 - n° 415 - Categories:silicon mono/multi, brochures
Sharp rise in electricity prices in Chinese Mongolia
The authorities of the province of Inner Mongolia (China) changed the price of the electricity they supply on 30 August with immediate effect. It was previously low, ranging from
AS Published on Monday 5 September 2022 - n° 414 - Categories:fundamentals PV, brochures
The trend in ingot cutting wire: the emergence of tungsten wire
Reducing the thickness of cutting wires.
The high cost of silicon has accelerated the search for thinner wafers. From 2018 to 2020, manufacturers spent three years reducing thickness by just 5 μm. However, since 2021,
AS Published on Tuesday 5 July 2022 - n° 411 - Categories:brochures
Zonghuan increases wafer prices by 5
PV panel prices in China have surpassed 2 RMB/watt
Last week, wafer supplier Zhonghuan Semiconductor (TZS) released its latest round of silicon wafer prices. It raised them for several of its P-type and N-type products.
L R AS Published on Monday 13 September 2021 - n° 373 - Categories:brochures
Customer selection by Chinese manufacturers
Some solar wafer manufacturers have suspended deliveries to their foreign customers
AS Published on Friday 27 August 2021 - n° 371 - Categories:the prices, brochures
New increase in the price of wood chips in August
LONGi, the world's leading wafer manufacturer, has increased its product prices by an average of 4%, two months
L R AS Published on Monday 31 May 2021 - n° 364 - Categories:brochures
Further increase in the price of wood chips
LONGi announced a further increase in the price of its wafers in June with an increase of
AS Published on Sunday 21 March 2021 - n° 355 - Categories:the prices, brochures
New increase in platelets in April
Chinese monocrystalline module manufacturer Longi has announced a price increase for all its wafers for the month of April. The G1 P-type products
AS Published on Saturday 6 March 2021 - n° 353 - Categories:brochures, the prices
9% increase in the price of wafers between February and March at the production level
According to PV InfoLink, silicon and wafer prices in China have risen significantly in the past week: the average price of silicon has risen by 9% in one week. The price for high quality has been set at
AS Published on Monday 15 February 2021 - n° 350 - Categories:brochures, cells
Further comparison of cell formats by DNV GL
The energy consultancy firm DNV GL has published further results of its comparison between panels made of 166 mm, 182 mm and 210 mm silicon cells. It compared the panel
L R AS Published on Monday 15 February 2021 - n° 350 - Categories:brochures, the prices
Platelet prices increase in February
A few days before the Chinese New Year holidays, the manufacturers Zhonghuan and LONGi have increased the price of their wafers.
Zhonghuan has set the price for M6 formats
L R AS Published on Friday 8 January 2021 - n° 345 - Categories:brochures
Trina wants to bundle the industry around the 210 mm wafer format
Eight manufacturers of solar panels using 210 mm wafers want their cell format to become the industry standard. In a context of format changeover, the various manufacturers are hesitating between different sizes. Trina Solar says that a single size is preferable, while a variety of formats on the market reduces production efficiency and affects the supply chain:
Two 210 mm wafer sizes:
It also offers two panel sizes:
As an incentive for colleagues to adopt their format, the eight manufacturers (Risen Energy, Zhonghuan Semiconductor, Tongwei, Huansheng Photovoltaic, Runyang New Energy Technology, Canadian Solar, Wuxi Shangji Automation, and Trina Solar) believe that
1°) this format increases the value of the flow, i.e. it increases with large products, reduces labour and operating costs.
2°) this format reduces transport costs and the number of panels in an installation, which reduces the number of junction boxes, DC cable combination boxes, installation and construction costs. A larger panel reduces transport costs because the auxiliary materials (frames, bottom sheet, EVA, busbars, pallets, packaging) do not increase as fast as the panel size.
Some manufacturers are concerned about the high operating temperature of large panels (the current in the panel comes from the current density multiplied by the cell surface). Trina mentions that if the temperature rises, the open circuit voltage decreases, while the short circuit current increases slightly, resulting in a decrease in PV conversion efficiency and cell power. He confirms that the energy loss is 0.20% for each additional degree of operation, and would be approximately the same with 210mm and 182mm wafers with the same efficiency. He adds that the amount of unused heat (not converted into electricity) is the same in units of area.
PV Magazine of 5 January
Editor's note Trina Solar's offensive is not innocent. It wants to convince the supporters of 182 mm (M10) and especially 166 mm (M6) formats to join the eight manufacturers who have adopted 210 mm. Although there may be savings in production, the other manufacturers will incur additional costs by changing their format again and will temporarily lose productivity.
L R AS Published on Friday 8 January 2021 - n° 345 - Categories:silicon mono/multi, brochures
The demand for silicon and wafers is currently very strong.
According toindustry sources, China's supply of silicon and solar wafers is becoming insufficient on the market, which is why the Chinese government has decided to increase the supply of silicon and solar wafers.
L R AS Published on Monday 7 December 2020 - n° 343 - Categories:brochures, cells
Recruitment campaign for the adoption of the 210 mm format
Panel manufacturers who have adopted the 210 mm cell format are launching a standardisation campaign to encourage other producers to join them. They indicate