On March 20, during the 10th China Energy Development and Innovation Conference, Trina Solar unveiled a new high-value product solution tailored for the Shagou Desert large-scale solar base. This solution is designed to meet the market demands for electricity, fundamentally restructuring the design of photovoltaic power stations and investment return logic. It focuses on achieving the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour (LCOE), high reliability against sandstorms, and efficient operation and maintenance products. These elements form the three pillars that maximize revenue from electricity market transactions, supporting the dual goals of increasing both the quantity and quality of solar power generation.
Dr. Zhang Yingbin, head of Trina Solar’s global products, strategy, and marketing, emphasized that the product solution, which integrates the i-TOPCon Ultra module with Trina’s tracking system, fully addresses the photovoltaic application needs in large-scale scenarios. By leveraging high overall efficiency, low irradiation generation advantages, and optimization algorithms for tracking brackets, this solution enhances the energy output per watt and the total energy generated over the lifecycle. Moreover, it achieves a lower LCOE by maximizing production during high-price periods and reducing Balance of System (BOS) costs. Compared to the BC product combined with industry-standard 1P tracking, Trina Solar’s large-scale solution can increase system value by ¥0.126 per watt and lower LCOE by 4.37%. The annual gain for a 100 MW power station could reach up to ¥2.396 million, providing customers with significant benefits.
The Shagou Desert region, rich in solar resources, is the preferred choice for large-scale ground-mounted solar projects. According to relevant plans, the total scale of wind and solar bases is expected to reach 455 GW by 2030, indicating immense development potential in large-scale scenarios. The area also faces severe climatic challenges, such as strong winds and high temperature differences. Dr. Zhang noted that after thoroughly studying the characteristics of large bases, Trina Solar developed this solution to meet the demands for the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour, high reliability against sandstorms, and efficient operation and maintenance products. Additionally, this solution is based on the logic of electricity market transactions. With the reform of electricity pricing for renewable energy, there is a need for more competitive costs to maximize returns.
Data from the Shandong Electricity Trading Center shows that solar power stations achieve maximum output during the lowest price periods. Therefore, increasing solar generation during high-price hours can enhance investment returns and overall profitability. Dr. Zhang indicated that achieving a more competitive LCOE relies on reducing the initial system investment while increasing overall energy output and generation during high-price periods. Trina Solar’s large-scale solution reduces BOS costs and initial system investments through the more efficient i-TOPCon Ultra modules, higher power per unit area, and increased string power. It also employs optimized algorithms for tracking brackets to maximize energy output during high-price hours and throughout the lifecycle, resulting in a lower cost per kilowatt-hour. A lower cost per kilowatt-hour translates to greater profitability.
Trina Solar’s large-scale product solution, utilizing the i-TOPCon Ultra module’s high bifaciality and excellent low irradiation performance in conjunction with the intelligent algorithms of Trina’s 1P tracking system, offers significant advantages in BOS costs, energy output, and LCOE. TOPCon modules are known for their high bifaciality and low irradiation performance, providing higher overall value than TBC modules when paired with fixed bracket systems, enhancing energy output by 1.98%, increasing overall value by ¥0.0263 per watt, and reducing LCOE by 1.24%. When upgraded to the i-TOPCon Ultra technology, Trina Solar’s premium N-type module displays a bifaciality improvement of 10-15% over TBC modules. In the Shagou project area, where ground reflectance is 25-30%, the i-TOPCon Ultra modules can produce 2.53% more energy compared to TBC modules under fixed bracket systems, increasing overall value by ¥0.0524 per watt and reducing LCOE by 2.27%. Considering a TBC premium of ¥0.05 per watt, the advantages of i-TOPCon Ultra are even more pronounced, increasing the overall value compared to TBC to ¥0.1024 per watt and expanding the LCOE advantage to 4.08%. Under tracking systems, the overall value significantly exceeds that of fixed bracket systems.
As a result, the Trina Solar i-TOPCon Ultra module combined with the 1P tracking solution achieves a 4.71% higher overall energy output compared to TBC plus industry-standard 1P tracking, resulting in an overall value increase of ¥0.126 per watt and a 4.37% decrease in LCOE, making it the preferred choice for projects aiming for the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour. Similarly, if considering a TBC premium of ¥0.05 per watt, the i-TOPCon Ultra combined with Trina’s 1P tracking system increases overall value to ¥0.176 per watt, further enhancing the LCOE advantage to 5.98%.
With the increasing participation of renewable energy in electricity market transactions, the Trina Solar large-scale product solution benefits from the i-TOPCon Ultra module’s excellent low irradiation performance, allowing for a 5% to 10% increase in generation compared to BC modules during early and late hours. Additionally, the Trina 1P tracking system can adjust angles flexibly based on intelligent algorithms, increasing energy output by 10% during the higher-priced early and late hours, thus enhancing the weighted selling price per kilowatt-hour by at least ¥0.011. This solution can increase annual revenue for a 100 MW power station by ¥2.396 million, boosting the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) by 0.97%. Notably, due to the high bifaciality and excellent low irradiation performance of the i-TOPCon Ultra, along with the high yield advantages of the Trina 1P tracking system, this product solution not only benefits the Shagou large-scale scenario but is also applicable to all bifacial generation scenarios worldwide. Wherever there are price differences in the market, Trina Solar’s large-scale solution holds an advantage. According to InfoLink’s predictions, by 2025-2028, the global share of bifacial scenarios is expected to reach 86%-88%, significantly expanding the global application range of Trina Solar’s product solutions.
In the challenging environment of the Shagou large-scale solar base, where strong winds and dust storms are common, ensuring the reliability of photovoltaic products is crucial. To guarantee product and system reliability, Trina Solar has reinforced the frames of TOPCon modules and tracking brackets, implementing multiple patented technologies to reduce failure rates. The large-scale solution also includes robots for assembly installation and crawler-type cleaning robots, which not only greatly enhance installation efficiency but also automatically sense environmental data for cleaning, increasing energy output by 5%-10% through intelligent lifecycle maintenance, ensuring photovoltaic modules always operate at optimal performance. Furthermore, Trina Solar offers a high-protection design for its energy storage systems, ensuring stable customer returns even in harsh environments. As the only company in the industry providing a comprehensive solution that includes modules, brackets, and energy storage, Trina Solar’s TOPCon modules, brackets, and energy storage systems are already being applied in the Shagou large-scale scenario and have received high recognition from global clients.
