On March 27, the 2025 China International Clean Energy Expo hosted the 2025 Huaxia Dual Carbon Energy Development Conference at the National Convention Center in Beijing. The theme of this conference was “Green Movement for the Dual Carbon Era”, organized by Huaxia Times, the Capital Technology Development Strategy Research Institute (CISTDS), and co-hosted by the Huaxia Dual Carbon Energy Research Institute and the Energy and Industry Working Committee of the China International Investment Promotion Association.
During the conference, the Product Department Director of JA Solar Technology delivered a keynote speech titled “Product Scene Optimization to Enhance Power Station Value.” He emphasized that quality is the foundation for the long-term stable operation of power stations. He likened this relationship to that of “1” and “0”—if the “1” representing quality is not stable, any additional “0” representing profit becomes meaningless. For instance, if the return rate is 10%, merely reducing material costs to increase the initial investment return from 10% to 11% overlooks the associated risks. It is crucial to provide reliable products to ensure a foundational return of 10%, and then achieve sustainable value enhancement through technological innovation and system optimization, rather than focusing on short-term gains from lower initial investments. According to JA Solar, returns built on a foundation of quality represent true and reliable investment returns.
The industry’s research is shifting from a localized to a holistic perspective. The development of photovoltaic technology is progressing rapidly, with minor changes every three months and significant advancements every six months, even revolutionary changes every two years. This rapid pace presents a challenge, as the lifespan of power stations typically lasts up to 30 years, while the frequency of technological updates is much higher. To ensure that a new technology remains reliable during the 30 years of a power station’s operation, extensive research is necessary to observe and test these technologies.
Currently, China’s photovoltaic industry is leading globally, and there is a need for Chinese enterprises to invest greater resources into researching overall system adaptability to ensure the photovoltaic sector can develop better and faster. The Product Department Director of JA Solar suggests that increased investment in both technology-driven approaches and product scene optimization is essential for healthy product development.
As the photovoltaic industry continues to thrive, installed capacity is steadily increasing, and application scenarios are no longer limited to vast plains. Today, photovoltaic power stations have expanded into areas prone to hail, typhoons, and rooftops of numerous factories and residences, as well as airports and extremely cold regions like Mohe in northern China, and into challenging environments such as deserts and coastal areas. The harsh challenges posed by these environments far exceed those encountered in traditional power station construction on plains.
The Product Department Director notes, “Currently, the supply exceeds demand in the industry, and many are reducing costs through technological enhancements while compromising product safety thresholds. This is contrary to the direction of our application scenario development, which requires increasingly higher product quality to meet various stringent challenges.” The oversupply situation has led to a price war, resulting in greater product standardization. While this might enhance cost-effectiveness, it simultaneously lowers safety thresholds, creating a noticeable polarization in the market.
Thus, the industry should further optimize the reliability and power generation capabilities of products across various scenarios, rather than merely focusing on increasing power output. Although enhancing power does lower costs and can increase returns from 10% to 11% or even 12%, failing to maintain the baseline return of 10% is ultimately counterproductive. Therefore, emphasis must be placed on the stability and reliability of products in real-world applications.
Founded in May 2005 and listed on the US stock market in 2007, JA Solar Technology went public again on the domestic A-share market in 2019. The company has established a vertically integrated supply chain encompassing silicon wafers, cells, modules, and photovoltaic power stations, with products and services reaching 178 countries and regions globally, maintaining a leading position in module shipments for several consecutive years.
Reports indicate that the complex offshore environment poses multiple challenges for photovoltaic modules, including high salt mist, ultraviolet exposure, electrical insulation, heavy loads, high humidity, and thermal hotspots.
To address these challenges, JA Solar has made significant efforts. Firstly, the front glass of the modules is treated with a double-layer coating, allowing for a denser light-absorbing layer that can withstand prolonged acid and alkali corrosion in saline environments, ensuring effective light absorption for up to 25 years. Unlike simpler coatings, which can degrade significantly and lead to a sharp decline in power generation efficiency.
Secondly, a high-water-resistant adhesive film is utilized to enhance the internal waterproofing capabilities of the modules in humid offshore conditions. Typically, insulating waterproof adhesives are used on module frames, but these are not entirely sealed. Thus, improving the adhesive’s water resistance is essential to prevent moisture ingress, especially during extreme conditions like hurricanes or temperature fluctuations.
Thirdly, connectors, which are electrical components, face significant challenges in high-temperature and high-humidity environments and require further enhancement. Lastly, while the industry commonly uses aluminum frames, their corrosion resistance in acidic and alkaline environments is relatively weak. Therefore, applying a more reliable oxidation layer to the aluminum frame is necessary to ensure its reliability in such settings. JA Solar is also actively exploring superior organic materials that offer greater acid and alkali resistance than metallic materials, which could further enhance frame corrosion resistance.
Floating photovoltaic systems face greater challenges offshore than those installed along the coast, prompting JA Solar to focus on material refinement to ensure that products are not merely performance-driven but also valuable and cost-effective for the right applications.
In rigorous empirical testing environments, JA Solar’s DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules have shown actual power generation exceeding expectations by approximately 9.3%. Additionally, the company has proposed improvement solutions for harsh environments such as deserts, extreme cold, and areas prone to hail, with test results indicating higher power generation from these enhanced modules. Furthermore, JA Solar has expanded its offerings to include lightweight modules, anti-glare modules, and fire-resistant modules, with anti-glare models designed for use in airports and highways, and fire-resistant modules aimed at high-risk environments like gas stations, where fire safety is a critical concern. Residential and commercial rooftops also share common fire safety concerns.
