Solar - Made In The USA: Takeaways From Session 3 Of The Conference

Following the insights from Session 2, which featured leading upstream PV equipment manufacturers, Session 3 focused on the latest turnkey solutions and encapsulation offerings for the US PV module manufacturing market. This session included presentations from prominent PV module production tool makers and a materials company. Participants included Martin Ma, Sales Director of ConfirmWare Technology; Paulo Rocha, International Sales Director from Autowell; Steve Akey, Sales Director of Hangzhou First; and a representative from Ecoprogetti.

Martin Ma opened with a brief overview of ConfirmWare Technology, established in 2005. The company launched its first-generation stringer in 2012, followed by a CE & UL-certified turnkey solution in 2016. Ma emphasized the demand for highly automated production lines with minimal operators, serving customers in over 20 global regions. He cited a notable example: the company’s 1 GW turnkey line, which boasts high automation and requires only 24 operators for double-glass modules and 18 for single-glass modules, delivering a module every 16 seconds. With over 95% uptime, this line has a production capacity of 2,300 to 2,600 modules per 12-hour shift.

Next, Ma highlighted the company’s flagship ultra-high-speed MBB cell stringer, compatible with half-cut and triple-cut cells, achieving a throughput of up to 12,000 cells per hour and a string rework rate of less than 1%. He also introduced ConfirmWare’s compact 4-in-1 stringer machine and its zero busbar (0BB) stringer.

In the following presentation, Paulo Rocha of Autowell discussed integrated tool solutions for the US PV module manufacturing market. He provided an overview of the current PV manufacturing landscape, noting an installed capacity of 10 GW each for ingot and wafer production, 3 GW for cells, and 34 GW for modules. Rocha highlighted the rapid growth of the US PV module manufacturing sector and the increasing adoption of TOPCon as a mainstream cell technology. He mentioned that Autowell holds over 70% of the global market share in PV cell interconnector tools and stringers.

The presentation was subsequently focused on ATW’s integrated tool solutions for module manufacturing – clubbing key process steps, such as cell cutter, stringer, layup, and bussing in a single tool platform or a 4-in-1 integrated solution. Providing a case study for 1 GW conventional ATW front-end module line, featuring a throughput of 3,000 strings and 250 TOPCon 144 half-cell modules per hour, experiencing up to 2% string rejection rate and up to 10% module rework ratio. According to ATW, this 2% string rejection rate for a US manufacturer translates into a trashing of up to $ 1 million, which can be significantly reduced by ATW’s 4-in-1 integrated front-end module line and automatic module rework solution. This integrated front-end module line, with a throughput of more than 10,000 cells per hour, can reduce the module repair rate below 5%, claims Rocha. This platform when combined into a 1 GW module production capacity, can reduce defective string rate by up to 50% compared to conventional front-end line. Further, Rocha briefly described ATW’s busbarless (0BB) technology platforms, types of 0BB stringing processes, and the importance of integrated processes to achieve competitive production.

On the materials side, Steve Akey, Sales Director of Hangzhou First, a leading Chinese encapsulant and backsheet supplier, shared the company's comprehensive packaging solutions for PV modules. By 2023, the company had shipped more than 380 GW of encapsulants and 50 GW of backsheets from 6 production bases, including China, Vietnam, and Thailand. The company has evolved its encapsulation technologies according to cell technologies.

He highlighted the optimal encapsulation combinations for glass-to-glass (G2G) and glass-to-backsheet (G2B) TOPCon modules, which are susceptible to issues like potential-induced degradation (PID) and moisture-induced degradation (MID). For G2G TOPCon modules, he presented a packaging solution using 3 materials – EVA, EPE, and POE – each exhibiting different water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) and varying levels of MID after a 312-hour pressure cooker test (PCT). Akey noted that modules with HZ FIRST POE encapsulation exhibited minimal MID degradation and lower power degradation in PID tests. Based on this inhouse test data, Akey recommended both high reliability and economic encapsulation combination for the TOPCon G2G module – HZ TF4 series POE on both sides as high-reliability combination and HZ EP304 series EPE on both front and rear or in combination with HZ EP406PS series EVA on the rear side as an economical option.

Shifting to G2B TOPCon modules, which face moisture-induced degradation, Akey promoted the latest TF4N series POE, incorporating anti-electrochemical additives. Results from in-house PCT and damp heat tests (DH2000) demonstrated strong reliability for the TF4N series POE when used on the front side of the module. For long-lasting G2B TOPCon modules, he suggested using the TF4N series POE on the front and standard Hangzhou First EVA on the rear, paired with either a transparent or white backsheet. The presentation concluded with the company’s latest offering for HJT module encapsulation.

The final speaker, a representative from Ecoprogetti, showcased the Italian company’s fully automated turnkey lines for the US module manufacturing sector. With over 30 years of experience and a presence in more than 60 countries, Ecoprogetti has achieved over 36 GW of cumulative installed capacity worldwide. The speaker compared a costly 1.2 GW European turnkey line to its Chinese counterparts, highlighting features like 30% lower energy consumption and predictable maintenance costs. This UL-certified turnkey line also offers productivity guarantees per hour. Additionally, the company’s advanced AI-based defect detection systems reduce the need for operators, facilitating the smooth mass production of PV modules. All4-GP, Ecoprogetti’s official distributor in the US and Canada, provides local after-sales service, production guarantees, and training for customers.

Panel discussion

Ecoprogetti’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion, featuring Jim Wood, CEO of SEG Solar; Nadeem Haque, CTO from Heliene; and Nitin Gandhi of Waaree Technologies. The panel was moderated by Michael Schmela, Managing Director of TaiyangNews. The topic of the discussion was “What’s Still Needed to Build a True Local Crystalline Module Supply Chain.”

Jim Wood, CEO of SEG Solar, a Houston-headquartered PV module manufacturing company with a factory in Indonesia, shared his company’s capacity expansion and business experience in the US market. SEG Solar has expanded its module manufacturing capacity with a new 2 GW plant in Houston, Texas. He further shared his company’s plan for an additional 5 GW vertically integrated plant in Indonesia. The company has taken multiple proactive steps to remain competitive in the currently challenging global business scenario. These include shipping modules from duty-free Indonesian factories, incorporating a fully automated production line in the new US facility, and promoting 630 W modules for the US utility sector.

Nadeem Haque, representing the Canadian PV module manufacturer Heliene, discussed his company’s experience as a US-based module manufacturer. Established 14 years ago, Heliene operates 2 module lines totaling 800 MW, with an additional 500 MW planned. The company has cultivated a loyal local customer base primarily in the commercial and utility sectors and has incorporated a significant percentage of domestic content into its modules – excluding ribbon and solar glass – following the declaration of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Haque emphasized the necessity of vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities, including ingot, wafer, cell, and module production, in the US.

Nitin Gandhi, the business head for Waaree Technologies in the US, highlighted the company’s substantial presence as an Indian PV module exporter. He noted Waaree's current installed capacity and future expansion plans in India, as well as considerations for entering the US module manufacturing market, with production expected to begin by November 2024. Gandhi stressed the importance of maintaining balanced, long-term relationships with customers to remain competitive in the current challenging market landscape.