Three leading vertically integrated companies – JA Solar, JinkoSolar and LONGi – which has been the main supporters and promoter of modules based on M10 wafer format have jointly published a white paper with a title "Optimal Module Solution for Achieving Lower LCOE of Utility Photovoltaic Power Station."
Addressing the development in the increase in wafer size, the white paper emphasizes that after the mainstream silicon wafer size maintained stably at 156.75mm for several years, G1 (158.75) and M6 (166) emerged recently. On the one hand, these slightly larger wafer sizes are compatible with the existing cell and solar glass production lines to realize immediate cost saving. On the other hand, the module size increased by less than 10%, and the original M2 module can be replaced in all applications, and BOS cost can be saved to a certain extent when the original boundary conditions remain unchanged at the system side. However, the industry further continued by increasing the wafer size – and a few companies even have introduced G12 (210 mm) size, mainly following the footprints of the semiconductor industry. As emphasized through several communications channels including conferences such as TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on High Efficiency Solar Technologies, the M10 supporters strongly believe that the boundary conditions for design and application of PV modules shall be considered comprehensively, so that the size of silicon wafers shall be obtained from the optimal module size.
In the boundary conditions analysis, these companies found that the container opening height of 2,570 mm determines the ideal module width. When back calculating it, these companies found 182 mm is best suited wafer size. The module width of 1.13 m also enables easy handling of the PV panels during installation. Indicating limits of the module weight to be carried by two installers being 33.3 kg, the 72-cell bifacial modules based on M10 wafers weighing 32 kg also meets this requirement.
As part of the load capacity analysis, which is primarily determined by glass and frame, considering a bifacial module in double glass configuration with 2 mm glass thickness, the size of the module should be within a limit, which is also met by the M10 module configuration. Similarly, based on theoretical analysis, the frame stress of 182 mm wafer size module is within safe limit under load, the companies said.
The white paper discusses several other important aspects related M10 modules such as mass production feasibility, industry chain compatibility, production standardization and advantages at system level.
For further details please download the while paper HERE.
These three vertically integrated companies have presented the value additions of 182 mm wafer based modules across different parts of supply and value chain also during the first day of the TaiyangNews High Efficiency Solar conference (all presentation recordings are accessible here).
JA, JinkoSolar and LONGi's 182 mm products were also covered in detail in the TaiyangNews report on High Efficiency Solar: Featuring PERC Modules with M10/182mm Cells Towards Very High Efficiency Products –A Conference Summary, which can be downloaded for free here.
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