China based global PV giant Trina Solar has upped the ante – again – in the solar power stakes, unveiling a 670W panel with an efficiency rating of up to 21.6% as part of a new generation of ultra-high power Vertex modules.
The latest offering from Trina pushes solar panel output to a new high, just surpassing the 665W module unveiled by Canadian Solar in October of 2020, as part of that company’s Series 7 high-power, high-efficiency HiKu modules.
Trina said that the new module series, which was launched at the PV Module Tech Conference on Thursday, was particularly well suited to large-scale applications, with the ability to achieve a total power increase of up to 18,760W per string, or 34%, compared to 500W+ modules.
In terms of balance of system (BOS) costs, Trina says the increased output of the panels, which are based on 210mm wafers, means their number can be reduced – by about 24% per a 100MW plant – which stands to cut overall installation costs by 5%-7%.
Further savings are also said to be achieved through a reduced non-silicon cost of silicon wafers and cells for the upstream supply chain, and reduced cost of trackers, pile foundations, cables and labor for the downstream.
And finally, an “innovated” vertical packaging method introduced with Trina’s 600W+ module series can deliver up to a 12% cost reduction in transportation, the company says. The weight of each module is 34kg.
“The 210mm modules, integrating high efficiency, high reliability, high power generation and low cost have been increasingly favored by the market, with tenders for large-size modules accounting for more than 78%,” Trina said in its statement.
“By the end of 2021, 210 modules production capacity is expected to achieve 120GW in the entire industry. At Trina Solar, 210 modules will account for 70% to 80% of its overall shipments this year.
“As ultra-high power 600W+ modules becoming an unstoppable trend in the PV industry, the industry will continue to deliver more support for the innovative 210 solutions both upstream and downstream,” the company said.
“As a leader in the industry, Trina Solar has been driven by innovative, reliable quality and customer value,” said Trina Solar’s head of product strategy and marketing, Dr Zhang Yingbin, in a statement on Thursday.
“The ultra-high power Vertex 670W module launched this time reveals higher feasibility in reducing the BOS cost and LCOE, which will help achieve the renewable energy goals and accelerate the PV industry’s pace to embrace the era of grid parity.
“This is of profound importance for China’s PV industry to once again lead the world,” he said.
The 670W module, which Trina says has obtained the IEC certification from TÜV Rheinland and is ready for mass production, comes less than a year after Trina threw down the gauntlet to the industry with the global launch of the industry’s first 600W module.
As One Step Off The Grid reported at the time, the arrival of the 600W Vertex line from Trina turned the page on the barely formed 500W module club, with a series of other solar majors quickly following suit, including JinkoSolar with a 610W module in August of 2020, and – as noted above – Canadian Solar’s 665W module.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
