**: People's *** Kitchen - Bumper Words Studio].
As an industrial product that has developed rapidly in China in recent years, the "new three" of foreign trade such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products continue to run out of "acceleration". Among them, China's photovoltaic module output has ranked first in the world for more than 10 consecutive years, and the global production capacity of cells and modules has accounted for more than 80%. How can the PV industry maintain and enhance its core competitiveness? Recently, the people's first reporter visited battery and module production and related supporting enterprises in Jiangsu and other places to observe the industry's efforts to broaden the development space.
In the production workshop of a photovoltaic enterprise in Hai'an High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, workers are preparing photovoltaic modules.
Photo by Zhai Huiyong.
After hundreds of millions of years of sedimentation and transformation, plants and animals that rely on sunlight to grow have become coal and oil, which have become the most important energy sources for the modern human industrial revolution.
Over the past thousands of years, humans have exploited the sun's energy in different forms. Today, solar radiation is being converted into electricity in a more direct form, becoming an important green energy source.
According to the International Energy Agency, by the end of 2022, the cumulative installed capacity of PV in the world exceeded 1,183 GW, of which 65% was added between 2018 and 2022. In this energy revolution, China's photovoltaic industry, represented by cell and module production, is constantly looking for greater development space.
With the introduction of a series of subsidy policies in overseas markets at the beginning of this century, the scale of China's photovoltaic industry has expanded rapidly. Subsequently, key factors such as the global economic crisis, policy adjustments in overseas markets, domestic norms to support the development of the industry, and the proposal of the "dual carbon" goal promoted the sustainable development of the industry. Step by step, China's photovoltaic industry has achieved global leadership, with the global production capacity of key links such as cells and modules accounting for more than 80% of the world's total.
Looking back on more than 20 years, in pursuit of the energy of a beam of light, China's photovoltaic industry has followed the start, braved the wind and rain, and made unremitting exploration. Recently, the people's first reporter walked into the production of batteries and modules and related supporting enterprises to explore the story behind the development of the industry.
From being controlled by others to being autonomous and controllable.
Proportion of domestic equipment.
Achieve a leap from 0 to close to 100%.
In Jintan District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, in the photovoltaic module production workshop of EGing Optoelectronics Technology, the automated production line is running at high speed. At the beginning of the production line, the robotic arm picks up a photovoltaic glass plate and places it on the conveyor belt for adhesive film laying. At the same time, the cells are arranged into a whole rectangular panel through multiple processes such as laser scribing, welding, and typesetting, which are tightly attached to the glass plate in the subsequent process. Next, the robotic arm grabs the aluminum frame, "frames" the stacked panels, and adds the junction box, which is a complete photovoltaic module.
The equipment on the production line, there are many Suzhou Shengcheng photovoltaic equipment 100 kilometers southeast of the enterprise, starting from the conveyor belt with simple production function, Shengcheng photovoltaic has now grown into the industry's leading intelligent equipment and overall solution service provider.
In the past, the domestic PV industry was described as "three heads outside", with raw materials, equipment and markets almost all dependent on overseas. In the interview, the person in charge of a number of cell and module manufacturers said that in terms of equipment, there was almost no domestic equipment on the original domestic production line, and "development is obviously controlled by others". But today, the proportion of overseas equipment in the production line is very small.
The leap from 0 to nearly 100% can be said to be the result of the benign interaction of the industrial chain. Lin Xiong, deputy general manager of Shengcheng photovoltaic, introduced that in the past 10 years, the downstream production capacity has expanded rapidly, and the demand for equipment has grown rapidly.
At the same time, the advantages of domestic equipment manufacturers in collaborative development and after-sales response are also very obvious. Zhang Xinyu, deputy general manager of R&D of photovoltaic company JinkoSolar, said for example, that the company previously needed a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition equipment, but the customization requirements for products exceeded the production capacity of foreign equipment manufacturers. "Foreign companies are reluctant to invest more resources in developing a product that they see as 'highly uncertain prospects'. Zhang Xinyu introduced that later, domestic equipment manufacturers sent a large number of engineers to JinkoSolar to the laboratory and workshop for collaborative development, and after a year, an industry-leading equipment finally came out.
If cell and module production equipment is the backbone of the middle stream of the photovoltaic industry chain, then the branches on the backbone are also indispensable.
A closer look at the surface of the photovoltaic cell, the bright silver grid lines crisscross to form a fine circuit diagram. These thin silver wires are the "capillaries" of the cell, which are used to collect and transmit electrons for photovoltaic power generation. The better the quality of the "capillary", the better the conductivity, the higher the power generation efficiency, and the key material that determines its quality is conductive silver paste.
As an important auxiliary material, the average cost of photovoltaic silver paste has dropped from 2 yuan per watt before 2010 to 0 per watt at present05 yuan. Liu Haiyang, general manager of Changzhou Juhe New Materials Co., Ltd., a photovoltaic silver paste production enterprise, said that in this process, domestic silver paste production enterprises have increased research and development efforts, while ensuring the conductivity and stability of silver paste, they have continuously reduced costs and increased efficiency, opening up a new situation in the international market.
From auxiliary materials to a full set of equipment, from single production to system integration, China's photovoltaic industry has become an end-to-end independent and controllable strategic emerging industry. Liu Yiyang, deputy secretary-general of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, said.
In Haining City, Zhejiang Province, in the intelligent photovoltaic cell production workshop of JinkoSolar Co., Ltd., automatic guided vehicles shuttle back and forth.
Photo courtesy of JinkoSolar***.
From the back to catch up to the industry leading.
Behind the technical prowess.
It's a 0.00 percent increase.
What does a 1% increase in conversion efficiency mean in the battery sector?
At this stage, this means that the same size module can add about 20 watts of power, and the downstream industry can build a higher specification power station with less land.
In the field of PV module accessories, what does a 1 mm reduction in the thickness of glass sheets mean?
From 32 mm to 2 mm means that the cost is reduced by more than 20%, and at the same time, the convenience of installation due to the weight reduction is the key to open the door to the overseas market of distributed photovoltaics.
There are also ...... the heat dissipation rate of the battery, the lightweight of the components, the matching degree of the equipment, and the integration of the systemVarious technological breakthroughs have made China's photovoltaic industry a leader today.
Before that, it was a long time to follow and run side-by-side.
When the domestic photovoltaic industry was just starting, many people thought that this was to make rooftop solar water heaters. Wang Xusheng, senior R&D director of Suzhou Canadian Solar, who entered the photovoltaic industry in 2006, said that many practitioners, including himself, have continuously deepened their understanding of the industry through step-by-step practical operations, "China's photovoltaic industry started from module production and gradually extended upstream. ”
The stage of catching up has passed, and the unremitting exploration is still happening silently in every link of the photovoltaic industry.
In the optical laboratory of Almaden Co., Ltd., Tianning District, Changzhou City, Chen Yanping, the product development manager, is completing a series of tests such as light transmittance, pattern and haze of various glass samples through equipment. Pieces of photovoltaic glass, where the initial or final inspection is carried out.
In the battery R&D center of JA Solar (Yangzhou) Solar Technology, Dong Yaocheng, a post-90s R&D personnel, is comparing various data and summarizing the experimental results of the previous day. As a member of the battery R&D team, he and his colleagues are advancing on different battery R&D routes, looking forward to greater technological breakthroughs.
In Canadian Solar's lab, Wang Xusheng stared at the screen in front of him while discussing passionately with his colleagues. As the head of the R&D team, he focuses not only on a technology and a product, but also on basic research and theoretical innovation related to the future of the industry.
In recent years, we have been able to increase the conversion efficiency of our batteries by 05% or more. If a technology or process, it can be increased by 005% conversion efficiency, then it is worth investing resources in development. Zhang Xinyu said, "All our efforts are for this fraction or even fraction." ”
From an average of less than 15% in 2010 to an average of about 24% today, and then to more than 30% in the laboratory, the cell conversion efficiency has been continuously improved, and the technical strength of China's photovoltaic industry has achieved a transformation from catching up with the latter to leading the industry. According to the statistics of the State Intellectual Property Office, in terms of solar cells, the current number of global patent applications in China is 12640,000 pieces, ranking first.
From reactive adaptation to active choice.
The center of gravity of the photovoltaic market.
Gradually move to more areas.
From the perspective of the market, the development of China's photovoltaic industry can be roughly divided into two stages. Before 2013, the impetus for the development of the industry mainly came from overseas markets represented by Europe and the United States. In 2004, Germany proposed to increase subsidies for the photovoltaic industry, and the demand for photovoltaic modules in the European market grew rapidly, and China's manufacturing industry, with low cost and high efficiency, became an important force to undertake this demand.
At that time, every time we participated in overseas exhibitions, we would chase foreign merchants to purchase polysilicon and wafers, and foreign merchants to purchase cells and modules. Liu Qiang, director of EGing Optoelectronics, recalled that at that time, domestic photovoltaic companies were established one after another and poured into the international market.
Looking back at the development characteristics of the industry in its initial stages, many interviewees said that the subsidy policy-driven industrial expansion is very risky. Although photovoltaic companies enjoy specific dividends, they can only passively adapt, and it is difficult to predict future market trends.
Starting from the 2008 international financial crisis, in the following years, the photovoltaic subsidy policies in Europe and the United States have changed, resulting in a sharp decline in market demand, and the production and operation of China's photovoltaic industry are facing difficulties and entering a trough of development.
When the market is good, everyone is immersed in production, and it is better to be able to ship quickly than anything else. Qian Jing, vice president of JinkoSolar, said that only when there are huge fluctuations in the market, will some people stop and think, "What is the next step, what is the competitiveness of the enterprise?" ”
Some companies choose to continue to cultivate the markets of developed countries.
For example, in Japan, although the penetration rate of distributed photovoltaic equipment is relatively high, the application scenarios have evolved from rooftop photovoltaic to roadside photovoltaic, building-integrated photovoltaic, and even offshore photovoltaic, and every change can bring huge market space. Guo Yafei, general manager of JA Solar (Yangzhou) Solar Technology, said.
Some companies choose to explore the market of developing countries.
Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and Africa are now the top regions for companies in terms of shipments and profits. Qian Jing said that since the early days of its establishment, JinkoSolar has begun to pay attention to and try to enter emerging markets. "If the LCOE falls further, the potential for emerging markets will be enormous. In some countries or regions where the power infrastructure is not perfect, under the premise of establishing a relatively complete installation and after-sales guarantee system, whether it is a ground power station, a distributed photovoltaic or even an optical storage and off-grid system, it is very popular in the market. ”
Of course, in a hyper-scale market with a population of more than 1.4 billion, making a difference in China can be said to be the expectation and vision of many photovoltaic companies.
In 2013, the "Several Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of the Photovoltaic Industry" was issued. Since then, a number of departments have issued nearly 100 support policies to promote the expansion of the domestic market and a management system to standardize the development of the photovoltaic industry, and the scale of China's photovoltaic power generation market has expanded rapidly. By the end of 2015, the cumulative grid-connected capacity of photovoltaic power generation in China reached 4318 GW, ranking first in the world and continuing to do so today.
China's photovoltaic industry has changed from passively adapting to overseas subsidy policies and highly dependent on the European and American markets to actively carrying out differentiated operations and expanding the global market, which is not only a change in business ideas, but also a change in the competitiveness of the entire industry. Nowadays, photovoltaic energy can compete with traditional energy sources. Liu Yiyang said.
In Dawukou District, Shizuishan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in the production workshop of Jinjing Technology, the photovoltaic module encapsulation glass production line is running in an orderly manner. Photo by Yuan Hongyan.
From "** electricity" to affordable Internet access.
Stay strategically focused.
Promote the healthy development of the industry.
What are the key indicators that can intuitively reflect the development of the photovoltaic industry?
"Cost of electricity" is the answer given by many interviewees.
Data from research institutions show that in 2004, the average LCOE of photovoltaics exceeded 6 yuan kWh. With the significant reduction of raw material costs and the continuous improvement of technical level, in 2009, the bidding project of 10 MW photovoltaic grid-connected power station in Dunhuang, Gansu Province was finally 109 yuan kWh** broke the record of China's photovoltaic grid **. "Compared with the feed-in tariff of about 2 yuan kWh that formed a general consensus in the industry at that time, 109 yuan kWh** means the end of the era of "**electricity" in the photovoltaic industry. One interviewee said.
However, 109 yuan kWh is just a node, since then, the photovoltaic industry has ushered in a series of huge technological changes, and driven by the cost of electricity continues to decline rapidly. In December 2018, China's first large-scale grid-parity photovoltaic project was officially connected to the grid in Golmud, Qinghai Province, with an average electricity price of 0316 yuan kWh, lower than the local 03247 yuan kWh thermal power desulfurization benchmark feed-in tariff, creating a precedent for domestic photovoltaic power generation parity. Subsequently, in 2022, photovoltaic power generation will enter the stage of full grid parity, which will truly support the green transformation of thousands of industries and the lights of thousands of households.
To build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, the photovoltaic industry has broad prospects. "In the past 10 years, the cost of photovoltaic power generation has dropped by 90%. Without considering the balance of the system, photovoltaics have become the cheapest new power source. ”
At a time when the "dual carbon" goal is steadily advancing and the energy structure is accelerating transformation, the future of the photovoltaic industry is generally optimistic. But the discussion around the overcapacity of the photovoltaic industry has not stopped.
The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology previously said that there is indeed a certain risk of phased and structural excess in China's photovoltaic industry, but it is generally within the normal scope of industry development. Phased and structural overcapacity has led to increased competition, which in turn has led to a trend of price reductions. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, from January to October 2023, photovoltaic module products** fell by 40%. Some analysts pointed out that some links in the current photovoltaic industry have been in a state of meager profits or even losses.
In the eyes of industry insiders, the elimination and clearance of backward production capacity driven by the cycle of the photovoltaic industry is a manifestation of the benign operation of the market's ability to adjust. In this process, it is necessary to maintain strategic focus and avoid overheating and alternating between cold and hot as much as possible. "The healthy development of the photovoltaic industry requires practitioners to move through the ever-changing industry cycle steadfastly. One interviewee said.
In addition, industry insiders also said that to further promote the development of China's photovoltaic industry, not only to have the strength of the manufacturing side, but also to include the innovation of basic research, the standardization of industry standards, and the soundness of certification capabilities. Liu Yiyang said: "These tasks still need to be continued and worked on for a long time. ”
Over the past 20 years, China's photovoltaic industry has gradually grown from a seed to a towering tree. Born to the sun, this industry is welcoming every moment where the light goes.
Published in People** 20241.30 10th ed.
People's ** reporter Bai Zhiyu, Han Chunyao, Wang Weijian.
Coordinator of this issue: Lou Xiaoxiao, Liu Chang.
People's *** Kitchen - Bumper Words Studio], only represents the author's point of view. The national party media information public platform provides information release and dissemination services.
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