As the global solar industry enters a new phase of maturity, the focus is shifting from rapid capacity expansion toward long-term value creation. According to Dr. Song Dengyuan, Chief Technology Officer of DAS Solar, this transition requires more than incremental efficiency gains. It calls for a fundamental change in mindset—one that abandons zero-sum competition in favor of positive-sum collaboration across the entire value chain.
Dr. Song emphasizes that photovoltaic development has reached a point where isolated optimization no longer delivers sustainable results. Instead, progress depends on coordinated innovation spanning technology, standards, materials, manufacturing, and application scenarios. Only by aligning these elements can the industry simultaneously improve quality, reduce life-cycle costs, and maintain long-term competitiveness.
Technology and Standards as Dual Engines of Long-Term Value
The photovoltaic sector is currently undergoing a structural transformation, moving from scale-driven growth to value-oriented development. Product quality has become a decisive factor, not only for power generation performance but also for the resilience and sustainability of the broader industry ecosystem. Dr. Song notes that technological iteration and quality improvement are inseparable, and that competition based solely on short-term cost pressure risks eroding long-term value for all participants.
In his view, the path forward lies in establishing a closed-loop development model that starts with identifying real-world performance challenges, addresses them through fundamental technological innovation, and then translates proven solutions into widely adopted industry standards. This approach creates a virtuous cycle in which technology enables higher standards, standards reinforce quality, and quality ultimately drives greater market value.
As N-type technologies advance rapidly toward their theoretical efficiency limits, outdoor operating performance has become increasingly sensitive to environmental stressors such as ultraviolet radiation, humidity, and thermal cycling. These factors can degrade passivation layers and accelerate power loss, posing new challenges for high-efficiency cells. DAS Solar has addressed this issue through a combination of theoretical modeling and structural optimization, introducing hybrid passivation solutions that suppress UV-induced degradation at its source. As a result, degradation in UVID120 testing for TOPCon modules has been reduced to below one percent, placing performance among the most advanced levels currently achievable.
Reducing Silver Dependence Through Materials Innovation
The rapid adoption of N-type technologies has triggered a new wave of innovation in auxiliary materials, including metalation pastes and encapsulation systems. While performance requirements have increased, Dr. Song sees this as an opportunity rather than a constraint, particularly in the context of long-term cost reduction and sustainability.
Silver, as both an industrial material and a financial commodity, has experienced sustained price pressure in recent years. From a strategic perspective, reliance on silver poses structural risks for the scalability of photovoltaic deployment. Dr. Song argues that transitioning toward low-silver or silver-free metalation solutions based on base metals such as copper is essential for the industry's long-term growth.
DAS Solar is actively collaborating with materials partners to advance copper-based metalation technologies. By printing copper paste onto a thin silver seed layer, the company has significantly reduced silver consumption while maintaining electrical performance. Early results show that cell efficiency, busbar morphology, and solderability are approaching parity with conventional silver-based solutions. Further work is underway to validate long-term module reliability, interface electrochemistry, oxidation resistance, and contact resistance stability through comprehensive aging tests. As these technical barriers are resolved, copper-based metalation is expected to play a central role in the next phase of photovoltaic cost reduction.
From Standard Products to Scenario-Specific Solutions
As solar deployment expands beyond utility-scale projects into a wide range of environments, from coastal waters to deserts and urban rooftops, one-size-fits-all modules are no longer sufficient. Dr. Song believes that scenario-specific customization has become a critical pathway for unlocking additional value from photovoltaic systems.
In offshore environments, high salinity, humidity, intense radiation, and mechanical stress from wind and waves place extreme demands on module reliability. Addressing these conditions requires enhanced mechanical strength, corrosion-resistant frame materials, advanced coatings, and reinforced encapsulation structures capable of withstanding long-term dynamic loads.
Desert installations, by contrast, face challenges such as sand abrasion, extreme temperature fluctuations, and intense ultraviolet exposure. DAS Solar has responded by optimizing backsheet weather resistance, introducing UV and aging-resistant polymer materials, and applying durable glass coatings that combine abrasion resistance with anti-reflective performance. These measures are validated through rigorous thermal cycling and environmental testing to ensure long-term energy yield under harsh conditions.
Distributed photovoltaic systems, commonly installed on commercial buildings and residential rooftops, present yet another set of requirements. Variations in building structures, exposure to corrosive gases, and complex installation conditions necessitate enhanced insulation performance, improved junction box sealing, and flexible module sizing and mounting solutions. By tailoring products to specific rooftop types and operating environments, DAS Solar aims to ensure both safety and reliability across diverse distributed applications.
Through its ecosystem, urban, and water-surface solution portfolios, DAS Solar integrates scenario-driven design with performance optimization, translating differentiated product features into measurable gains in energy yield and life-cycle value.
Toward a Collaborative and Sustainable Industry Model
In the context of the global energy transition, Dr. Song stresses that the photovoltaic industry must move beyond zero-sum and negative-sum competition models. Sustainable growth depends on positive-sum collaboration, where technological progress, cost reduction, and value creation reinforce one another across the supply chain.
DAS Solar positions itself as a long-term value builder rather than a short-term competitor. Anchored by its "One Core, Three Branches" technology strategy, the company continues to invest in efficiency enhancement, life-cycle cost reduction, and cross-sector integration with buildings, transportation, and energy storage. At the same time, it actively works with partners throughout the value chain to foster a more resilient and cooperative industry ecosystem.
By delivering scenario-specific solutions that embed solar energy into everyday infrastructure and economic activity, DAS Solar seeks to accelerate the transition toward a cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable energy system defined not by zero-sum rivalry, but by shared progress and mutual benefit.
