JA Solar wins EUPD Research awards
Leading solar manufacturer JA Solar has announced that it has received the Solar Prosumer Award and the Energy Transition Award from EUPD Research. The Solar Prosumer Award recognizes brands and companies with high recognition among solar prosumers, while the Energy Transition Award celebrates pioneering enterprises in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) that lead in energy transition efforts.
JA Solar emphasized its sustainable development philosophy of ‘Green to Green, Green to Grow, Green to Great’ and its commitment to increasing investment in technological innovation, optimizing its product portfolio, enhancing product efficiency, and striving to reduce carbon emissions during production.
JA Solar recently announced that its Bycium+ TOPCon cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 748.6 mV and a conversion efficiency of 26.07% (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Tongwei receives CGC Product Certification
Tongwei Solar’s Jintang manufacturing base has received product certification from the China General Certification Center (CGC). The certification process rigorously evaluated module performance, reliability, and safety, confirming compliance with the CGC-R47005:2024 Implementation Rules for Solar Photovoltaic Product Certification (Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules for Ground Applications). The base achieved dual recognition for module performance and reliability, earning the Golden Sun Certification.
Earlier this month, Tongwei announced that its ‘Fisheries-Solar Integration for Green Development’ case was included in UNGC’s report as one of the top 20 best practices for sustainable development in China (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
TCL TZE launches TOPCon copper-busbar modules and ultra-thin silicon wafers
Vertically integrated solar manufacturer TCL TZE has unveiled 2 innovative solar products: a TOPCon copper-busbar module and an ultra-thin large-size silicon wafer for smart photovoltaics.
The company says its TOPCon copper-busbar module is the first of its kind to eliminate silver usage in TOPCon cells. It boasts a module efficiency of 23.2% and a conversion power of 720 W. The design maximizes the effective cell area while increasing packing density by 1.2% compared to conventional products. TCL TZE states that with its A-side-free design, the module is resistant to water and dust accumulation, delivering over 3% power generation gains at the system level.
For the ultra-thin silicon wafer, TCL TZE did not disclose specific thickness details in the announcement. However, in July, the company announced that it had achieved mass production of 110 μm half-cut wafers, was ready for 100 μm mass production, and had developed 80 μm ultra-thin wafers as a reserve technology.
Recently, TCL TZE announced that it has suspended its plans for a 25 GW solar cell manufacturing project (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
SolaEon raises funds through Series A financing
Perovskite manufacturer SolaEon has recently completed a Series A financing round, raising hundreds of millions of RMB. The funding was led by Xuzhou High-Tech Zone Industrial Investment Fund and Shenqi Capital (the industrial investment arm of 58.com), among other institutions. The company plans to use these funds primarily for technological research and development, production line construction, and market expansion, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of perovskite technology.
In November 2024, SolaEon set a new world record by achieving a 26.20% conversion efficiency for its perovskite unit cell (1 cm²). The company has also commenced the construction of a 200 MW perovskite pilot production line in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, which is scheduled for completion in February 2025. Furthermore, SolaEon plans to establish a 1 GW production line by the end of 2025.
China’s industrial solar cell production hits 618.55 GW in January-November 2024
The National Energy Administration (NEA) has released key industrial production data for November 2024. In November, large-scale industrial enterprises in China (with annual revenue of RMB 20 million or more) recorded a total power generation of 749.5 billion kWh, a 0.9% year-on-year (YoY) increase. Solar accounted for 29.8 billion kWh, up 10.3% YoY. Wind power generation reached 82.4 billion kWh, down 3.3% YoY.
For the 11 months from January to November 2024, cumulative large-scale industrial power generation reached 8,568.7 billion kWh, up 5.0% YoY. Solar power generation totaled 385.6 billion kWh for the period, up 27.8% YoY. Wind power generation for the period was 843.8 billion kWh, down 11.5% YoY.
In November alone, large-scale industrial solar cell production totaled 68.14 GW, up 10.9% YoY, while cumulative production for January to November reached 618.55 GW, up 14.8% YoY.