TÜV NORD's IEC 61730:2023 module certification for Tongwei Solar; Maxwell to supply HJT NBB modules to Huasun; Jinenu's Hexian Base starts construction; Hymson's progress in TOPCon with LAS technology; China's August solar power generation up almost 14%.
Tongwei Solar receives TÜV NORD's IEC 61730:2023 module certification: Integrated solar manufacturer Tongwei Solar announced that it has received IEC 61215:2021/IEC 61730:2023 PV module certification by the third-party testing and certification organization TÜV NORD. Calling the certificate the world's first, Tongwei says that its TNC technology based single-glass and double-glass modules have successfully passed the new standard series of tests. Tongwei Solar released 2 n-type modules at SNEC in May 2023 (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Maxwell and Huasun sign agreement for 20 GW HJT NBB module string welding equipment: Maxwell Technologies and Huasun have signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement where the latter will supply 20 GW of high-efficiency heterojunction (HJT) solar NBB (No Busbar) module stringing equipment to Maxwell in stages within 3 years. The first phase will involve the supply of 5.4 GW NBB string welding equipment. The companies aim to promote the innovation, cost reduction and efficiency improvement of HJT as a technology, while also promoting HJT+NBB as the new generation of mainstream photovoltaic (PV) technology. In August, Maxwell reported an uptick in its H1 2023 operating income driven by strong domestic demand (see Maxwell Reports Strong Financials For H1/2023).
Jinenu Solar starts construction on 3 GW module fab in Hexian Base: Customized PV module manufacturer Jinenu Solar has announced that it has started construction on its 3 GW high-efficiency PV module manufacturing facility at its Hexian Base. With an investment of RMB 1.2 billion ($164 million) and being built over 150 acres, the fab will produce n-type and p-type large-size high-efficiency photovoltaic modules. The company says that the Hexian Base will be its 5th green smart manufacturing base and the 2nd this year. Jinenu had announced that it had started construction of its 3 GW fab at Qianshan Base in July 2023 (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Hymson LAS technology's progress in TOPCon cell efficiency: Hymson has updated via an announcement that it has made progress in TOPCon cells by continuously optimizing materials and processes, and by launching Laser Assisted Rapid Sintering Technology (LAS). The company says that the verification results confirm that there is a gain of more than 0.2% in cell conversion efficiency with the LAS technology. It uses laser-assisted rapid sintering to process the metal slurry on the front side of the silicon wafer in such a way that the slurry on the front side of the silicon wafer forms better ohmic contact with the silicon wafer. At the same time, the charging effect is used to optimize the grid electrode, improve the contact resistance and achieve the output of high-efficiency solar PV cells, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of TOPCon cells.
China's solar power generation increases 13.9% in August 2023: The National Bureau of Statistics' energy production report for August 2023 states that the country's power generation reached 845 billion kWh in the month, a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 1.1%. In terms of types, in August, the growth rate of thermal power and wind power turned from upward to downward, nuclear power and solar power accelerated, while hydropower switched from a decreasing trend to an increasing one. Thermal power fell 2.2% YoY, while hydropower was higher by 18.5%, after falling by 17.5% in July. Nuclear power grew 5.5%, 2.6 percentage points faster than in July. Wind power fell 11.5%, after growing 25% in July. Solar power generation increased by 13.9%, 7.5 percentage points faster than in July (see China Solar PV News Snippets).