China Solar PV News Snippets

Trina Solar's Vertex S+ modules deliver up to 3.09% higher energy yield; Tongwei signs supply deal with KONČAR; Qingdian Changxin's 13.2 GW TOPCon cell fab online; Akcome wins 178 MW tracker bid; TCL Zhonghuan forecasts net profit decline for FY 2023.

Trina Solar's Vertex S+ module shows 3.09% gain in energy yield in TÜV Nord test: Solar module manufacturer Trina Solar has announced that its Vertex S+ 445W and Vertex S+ 450W modules exhibited a 3.09% and 2.77% increase in energy yield, respectively, in a 3-month empirical test by TÜV Nord. These figures are in reference to p-type modules. The study, ongoing for 12 months, took place in Jiangsu province, China, featuring a subtropical monsoon climate. The Vertex S+ modules demonstrated excellent low-irradiance performance, with an average efficiency difference of 0.59% higher than reference modules under various irradiance conditions.

Trina Solar's Vertex S+ n-type dual glass series combines 210 mm rectangular silicon wafer cell technology with n-type i-TOPCon Advanced technology, offering enhanced efficiency and increased power generation. The company said that the modules maintain exceptional efficiency even in regions with low irradiance, making them suitable for areas like Europe and Japan.

Trina Solar recently expanded its Vertex S+ module series (see Trina Solar Expands Its Vertex S+ Module Series).

Tongwei signs module supply agreement with KONČAR: Vertically integrated solar PV manufacturer Tongwei Solar has announced that it has signed a module supply agreement with KONČAR. Under this agreement, Tongwei will supply high-efficiency bifacial modules (TWMND-72HD) for the 13.54 MW Dugopolje power station (see Croatia's Largest Solar Plant Online). The contract value of the construction is €11 million which is expected to be completed in 18 months. The project, part of Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP Group), is set to generate 17.2 million kWh annually, meeting the electricity needs of approximately 6,000 households.

Recently, Tongwei Solar announced receiving approval for multiple PV manufacturing facilities (see China Solar PV News Snippets).

Qingdian Changxin's 13.2 GW TOPCon cell fab online: Qingdian Changxin, the manufacturing arm of Clean energy company Qingdian Group, has announced that its 13.2 GW high-efficiency n-type TOPCon solar cell facility has commenced operations. The company has invested about RMB 12 billion ($1.67 billion) in the 850-acre facility located in Hefei City. It says that the facility utilizes globally leading automated solar cell production equipment, achieving a solar cell conversion efficiency of over 25%. Once fully up and running, its total capacity will reach 23.1 GW.

Akcome Technology wins Ningxia Zhongwei Phase II 178 MW tracker bid: Akcome Technology has announced that it has won the bid for the Ningxia Zhongwei photovoltaic project. The company will supply 178 MW of flat single-axis trackers for the project.

The second phase of Ningxia Zhongwei's 2 GW PV project is said to be China's first ultra-high voltage transmission channel that focuses on developing a large desert PV base. The project will use Akcome's SMART-R reducer 1P tracking system.

TCL Zhonghuan forecasts FY2023 net profits to decline by up to 38.4%: According to TCL Zhonghuan's 2023 performance forecast released recently, the company expects its net profit to range between RMB 4.2 billion ($585.1 million) and RMB 4.8 billion ($668.6 million). This translates to a year-over-year decline of 29.6% to 38.4%. The company cites, among other factors, price declines, increased competition and compressed profit margins as the reasons behind the decline in performance.

In H1 2023, TCL Zhonghuan reported a net income increase of more than 55% YoY (see China Solar PV News Snippets).