TaiyangNews Conference on Solar Power Plant Developments 2025

Block your dates for June 24 and June 26, 2025 for the next TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on PV System Technology Trends—SNEC & Intersolar Product Review. The 2-day event will cover the latest trends and innovations unveiled at the world’s 2 largest solar shows, SNEC in Shanghai and The Smarter E/Intersolar Europe in Munich. Registrations are already open here! See you soon!

In an interesting fireside chat with TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela, Enerparc COO and Co-Founder Stefan Müller emphasized the shift in utility scale solar towards customized designs based on regional conditions and the rising role of non-module components like transformers, batteries, cables and interconnections that account for as much as 75% of CapEx.

Müller noted that it is the energy traders who are increasingly dictating system design and not engineers or asset owners. Going forward, he sees increasing importance of AI and operational automation solutions along with integration of storage batteries in utility scale solar power plants becoming popular.  

Jolywood Head of Overseas Technical support Wenyi Gong talks about the manufacturer’s Windproof Module that’s incorporates J-TOPCon high efficiency cells, Double-beam Structure, Backbone Steel Frame and Transparent Mesh Backsheet. It is designed specifically to withstand high winds in extreme weather events such as snowstorm, hailstorm and hurricanes. She claims that the Backbone Steel Frame used is 3x stronger than conventional aluminum frames. Under same deformation level: BACKBONE steel frame demonstrates 85% higher front load and 75% higher rear load. 

Hybridisation enhances renewable integration, improves supply security, and lowers costs in utility-scale solar, stresses AFRY’s Principal Consultant Ignacio Cobo Berberana. By combining renewables or adding storage, hybrids create a baseload-like generation profile while mitigating variability, and ensure stronger, more reliable output, avoiding self-curtailment. This makes them an attractive proposition for PPAs and other revenue streams that require steady energy delivery.

The Deputy CTO of Cybrid, Hisanari Onouchi says the company’s RayBo UV conversion film is proven to offer >98% conversion efficiency, >99% UV cut, and >30 years durability. He claims that this effectively suppresses UV-ID in TOPCon modules, preventing degradation without initial power loss, ensuring a >40GWh return over 30 years in a 100MW plant.

Future is AI driven: Looking into the crystal ball for solar energy systems of the future, Becquerel Institute’s Head of AI, Mousa Sondoqah believes Gen AI will transform PV software by enabling autonomous, conversational workflows. AI agents will replace traditional UIs, allowing for more intuitive, intent-driven interactions. Users will act as orchestrators, defining objectives while AI executes tasks, enhancing future solar operations and innovation.

Solar power plants today face key challenges of fragmented platforms across use cases, overwhelming data with complex dashboards, poor filtering of insights, and inconsistent user interfaces, according to the Becquerel Institute’s Head of AI, Mousa Sondoqah that he says can hinder efficient decision-making and seamless operations across PV systems. He believes generative AI can help address these issues as the solar industry is projected to become highly automated in the coming years. 

BESS is not something in the future. It is very much in the picture now. While string inverters are preferred by companies for techno-commercial reasons, central inverters are growing in demand for the flexibility they offer with their fewer units and components to manage, said Sungrow’s Aakash Sharma while answering a question from TaiyangNews' Michael Schmela, adding that the company is well positioned to serve demands for all. 

Aakash Sharma from Product Certification team at Sungrow introduced its 2 newly launched products with grid forming capabilities that are increasingly required by regulatory bodies in various markets—1+X 2.0 Modular Inverter, offering scalable power from 800kW to 9.6MW, fast one-hour module swaps, and AI-driven diagnostics, and PowerTitan 2.0, a 5MWh liquid-cooled energy storage system that integrates AC and DC using advanced electrochemistry and grid support technologies. 

Antai Solar has optimized its tracker product portfolio with an eye on solar tracker efficiency introducing smart protection systems, preassembled components for faster, cost-effective installations, and advanced coatings to lower construction costs. The company’s Technical Support Director Frank Wang also shared the benefits of its Universal Joint Mechanism saying it boosts adaptability on complex terrains. The company is getting ready to launch a next-gen lightweight tracker at SNEC 2025. 

Huawei’s Product Solution Architect Thierry Pollet points out that renewable energy projects face economic losses from selling power below cost during low or negative price periods and technical limits like grid constraints and redispatch. He suggests co-locating PV with BESS, improving grid control, and expanding infrastructure to enhance flexibility and efficiency, as possible solutions to improve power plant business prospects. 

Energy markets are ready for vertical PV especially as peak power prices prove challenging for solar companies, says Huasun Energy’s Head of Business Development Europe, Christian Comes. Such installations need modules with high bifacialty which is where Huasun Energy’s Kunlun modules come into the picture as these have been optimized for this segment, aligning energy generation with periods of higher electricity demand. 

Traditional solar business models relied on stable feed-in tariffs and net metering, focusing on low LCOE. Today, the shift toward power purchase agreements and merchant models demands adapting to fluctuating market prices and time-of-day income, fundamentally changing project economics, says Huasun Energy’s Head of Business Development Europe, Christian Comes.  He recommends vertical solar plant design.

Over 30 demonstration projects have been set up by LONGi across the globe to test its TaiRay wafer-based back contact technology in real world and prove its better temperature coefficient, higher power generation and lower shading loss, compared to TOPCon, says Product and Solution Manager, LONGi, Meredith LV.  LONGi will use the BC technology to explore tandem technology in the future. 

Investors have diverse ESG and compliance needs, seeking tailored infrastructure, battery options, and visibility. Additionally, investors and asset owners require commercial services like energy trading, refinancing, and asset restructuring for effective project and plant management, hence renewable energy systems must meet these demands, along with various complex technical and cybersecurity standards, says Enerparc COO and Co-Founder Stefan Müller.

Enerparc COO and Co-Founder Stefan Müller in his keynote address lists co-development of various technologies and increase in corporate interest in solar energy as clear trends for utility scale solar. In terms of O&M, he believes operations will be fully digitalized with AI, ML or other tools, yet human interface is needed to manage bio diversity and community issues. 

Market is considered to be growing in the next 5 years, mostly in 2 digits. Some markets are growing quickly, others not as fast, according to SolarPower Europe’s Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2025-2029 launched at the Intersolar Europe 2025. China’s story with its market-designed reforms will impact installations globally. Nevertheless, most growth is expected in utility scale solar that’s set to surpass 500 GW by 2029, with 60% growth expected in 2025, says TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela in his opening remarks.