8 Companies Push For Standardizing 210mm Wafer Size

• 210mm should be made the standard size for silicon wafer and modules, according to 8 companies that have come together to demand this for the PV industry
• They believe this will enable the industry to optimize supply and achieve best possible scale among other benefits
• They want the standard sizes to be recognized and standardized under SEMI Photovoltaic Standards

A joint consortium of solar PV companies are calling for the manufacturing industry to standardize 210mm size silicon wafer and modules to make the most of 'vast development potential and opportunities' presented by the 210mm silicon wafer.
These companies are:

• Trina Solar,
• Risen Energy,
• Canadian Solar,
• Huansheng Photovoltaic (Jiangsu),
• Tongwei,
• Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology,
• Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor (TZS), and
• Wuxi Shangji Automation.

Calling the upgradation of silicon wafers, cells, module technology and manufacturing as an 'inevitable trend', these companies believe that standardization of silicon wafers to 210mm as well as module size will enable the industry to achieve the best possible scale, while empowering all businesses to improve production efficiency, optimize supply and drive technological innovation.
In concrete terms, the 8 companies propose the following:

1. Selection of 210+/-0.25mm as the standard size of silicon wafers in the 210-220mm size range under the SEMI Photovoltaic Standards, while revising the existing module size standards of SEMI.
2. Promotion of the standard sizes of silicon wafers and modules as in the appendix.

For 210mm silicon wafers, the 2 diameter sizes they recommend are 295mm (440.96 cm²) and 285mm (439.55 cm²), while for modules they propose 120 half cell (2172mm x 1303mm) and 132 half cell (2384mm x 1303mm) sizes.
In a joint statement, the companies stress that having a standardized size will reduce the initial investment required for manufacturing and PV systems. It will also decrease the cost of photovoltaic power generation, eventually achieving grid parity, promote green and low-carbon initiatives as well as lead global development in sustainable energy.
Some of these 8 companies are also part of Trina Solar led 600W+ Photovoltaic Open Innovation Ecological Alliance launched in July 2020 that aims to push for 600W+ ultra-high power solar modules (see 39 PV Firms Back 600W+ Solar PV Modules).