China

The solar PV module manufacturer reported strong growth for its energy storage business and an overall 105% year-on-year turnover growth. Its total module production capacity reached 19.7 GW at the end of June.

China’s battery manufacturing industry is growing robustly in line with the rapid expansion of the electric vehicle market. The stationary storage sector currently lags behind developments in leading markets such as the United States and Europe, but strong growth is expected between now and 2030, driven by supportive policies. Fang-Wei Yuan, a senior analyst at InfoLink, examines the latest developments in China’s energy storage industry and looks at the announcements and product launches made at the Shanghai SNEC exhibition back in June.

Trina Solar is also looking to raise financing for its plans to increase PV cell and module capacity.

A new white paper published by Chinese module giant JA Solar examines the performance of new large format modules, and compares products based on the two different wafer sizes, 182mm and 210mm, that are set to dominate the market for the coming years. Thanks largely to the impact of very high currents present in the larger of the two options, JA Solar finds that the 182mm products offer a slight advantage in performance. Further, JA notes that any further increases in size would come with more risk than reward, and calls on the industry to return its focus to reaching higher cell efficiencies and yields through new materials and innovations.

Xinte’s parent company – TBEA – has agreed to buy new shares issued by the company for RMB2.3 billion and these funds will be used to implement its 100,000 MT expansion plan. Furthermore, EVA solar film manufacturer Bbetter Century and 8 GW factory in the Shaanxi Province.

Researchers in China have developed a smart solar window tech based on a photovoltachromic device that is able to achieve a high pristine transmittance and to be self-adaptable to control indoor brightness and temperature. The device was assembled via a full solution process in an architecture incorporating glass, a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) layer, a perovskite-based PV cell, an electrochromic gel, another FTO layer, and glass.

Developed by Chinese researchers, the novel design methodology consists of utilizing metal brackets as mounting structures, conventional solar panels, and a grooved glass plate placed between the solar panels. According to its creators, it ensures a farmer’s average income increases by 5.14 times, including the solar power generation business. A system built with this approach should cost around €715 per kW installed.

Maxwell Technology is planning to raise RMB2.3 billion (US$356 million) for a new HJT equipment production base in Suzhou City, Jiangsu province. Furthermore, Ginlong has reported its profits grew by more than 100% in the first half of the year.

There is also news of a 1.1 GW central inverter procurement contract, a pending IPO for solar cell player Runergy, and a $700 million-plus solar glass supply contract.

Plus there is news this week of a green hydrogen tie-up in India, plans for another German production facility, and of new hydrogen transport networks for Switzerland and the U.S.