On March 20, during the 10th China Energy Development and Innovation Conference, Trina Solar unveiled a high-value product solution tailored for the Shage Desert Base. This solution is fully aligned with the demands of a market-oriented electricity sector and aims to redefine the design and investment return logic for photovoltaic power plants. By focusing on minimizing the cost per kilowatt-hour, enhancing reliability against wind and sand, and ensuring efficient operation and maintenance, this solution establishes three foundational pillars to maximize revenue from electricity market transactions. It supports the dual goals of increasing both the quantity and quality of photovoltaic power generation.
Dr. Zhang Yingbin, head of global products, strategy, and marketing at Trina Solar, highlighted that the product solution, comprising the i-TOPCon Ultra modules and Trina’s tracking system, adequately meets the photovoltaic application needs in large scale base scenarios. These products leverage high overall efficiency, enhanced performance under low irradiation, and optimized algorithms for tracking mounts, thereby increasing power output per watt and total energy generation throughout the product’s lifecycle. Moreover, by generating more electricity during high-price periods and reducing Balance of System (BOS) costs, the solution achieves a lower Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). Compared to the traditional combination of BC products and industry-standard 1P tracking systems, Trina’s large base solution can enhance system value by 0.126 yuan per watt, reduce LCOE by 4.37%, and potentially generate an annual benefit of up to 2.396 million yuan for a 100 MW power station, thereby offering customers greater returns.
The Shage Desert region, known for its abundant solar resources, has become the preferred site for large-scale ground-mounted power projects. According to relevant plans, it is anticipated that by 2030, the total capacity of wind and solar bases will reach 455 GW, highlighting the massive development potential of large base scenarios. The Shage Desert also presents challenges such as high surface reflectivity, which is advantageous for bifacial modules, alongside harsh climatic conditions like strong winds and significant temperature fluctuations.
Dr. Zhang explained that after extensive research into the characteristics of large bases, Trina Solar developed this Shage Desert Base solution to meet the needs for extremely low electricity costs, high reliability against wind and sand, and efficient operation and maintenance products. Furthermore, this solution is rooted in the logic of market-oriented electricity transactions. Under the ongoing reforms of electricity pricing for new energy, there is a pressing market need for more competitive cost per kilowatt-hour to maximize revenue.
Data from the Shandong Electricity Trading Center indicates that the peak output period for photovoltaic plants coincides with the lowest electricity prices. Therefore, enhancing electricity generation during periods of high electricity prices can improve return on investment and, subsequently, overall profitability. Dr. Zhang emphasized that achieving a more competitive LCOE is crucially linked to reducing initial system investments while simultaneously increasing overall energy generation and output during high-price periods. Trina’s large base solution achieves this by utilizing the more efficient i-TOPCon Ultra modules, which offer higher power per unit area and higher string power to lower BOS costs and initial system investments. It also combines low irradiation performance advantages with high overall efficiency in its components along with optimized tracking algorithms, ultimately resulting in lower electricity costs and consequently more profits.
The LCOE is reduced by 4.37%. Trina Solar’s large base product solution, featuring the high bifaciality and excellent low irradiation performance of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules paired with the smart algorithm advantages of Trina’s 1P tracking mounts, offers substantial advantages in BOS costs, energy generation, and LCOE. It has become the optimal choice for the Shage Desert Base scenario. TOPCon modules are known for their high bifaciality and low irradiation performance, and when paired with fixed mounting systems, surpass TBC modules in overall value with a potential increase in energy generation by 1.98%, an increase in value of 0.0263 yuan per watt, and a reduction in LCOE by 1.24%. When upgraded to the i-TOPCon Ultra technology, Trina’s supreme N-type modules exhibit a 10-15% higher bifaciality compared to TBC modules. At the Shage Desert project site in Golmud, Qinghai, where the surface reflectivity ranges from 25% to 30%, the i-TOPCon Ultra modules can increase energy generation under fixed mounting systems by 2.53%, enhance overall value by 0.0524 yuan per watt, and lower LCOE by 2.27%. If a TBC premium of 0.05 yuan per watt is considered, the advantages of i-TOPCon Ultra are further magnified, increasing overall value to 0.1024 yuan per watt and expanding the LCOE advantage to 4.08%. Overall, the tracking system demonstrates greater value compared to fixed mounts.
According to calculations, the combination of Trina’s i-TOPCon Ultra modules and the Trina 1P tracking system offers a 4.71% improvement in overall energy generation compared to TBC modules with industry-standard 1P tracking, with a system-wide value increase of 0.126 yuan per watt and a 4.37% lower LCOE, making it an excellent option for projects aiming for minimal electricity costs. Similarly, when factoring in a TBC premium of 0.05 yuan per watt, the value increases to 0.176 yuan per watt, with the LCOE advantage rising to 5.98%.
For a 100 MW power station, the annual benefit from Trina’s large base product solution can reach 2.396 million yuan, with the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) improving by 0.97%. Notably, due to the high bifaciality and superior low irradiation performance of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules, along with the enhanced energy generation capabilities of the Trina 1P tracking SuperTrack system, this product solution not only provides significant benefits for the Shage Desert Base but is also applicable to bifacial generation scenarios globally wherever there are electricity price discrepancies. According to InfoLink’s forecast, from 2025 to 2028, bifacial scenarios will account for 86% to 88% of the market, greatly expanding the global application range of Trina’s product solution.
In the harsh conditions of the Shage Desert Base, which often experiences winds exceeding level 8 accompanied by dust storms, ensuring the reliability of photovoltaic products is crucial. To guarantee the reliability of both products and systems, Trina Solar has reinforced the frames of its TOPCon modules and tracking mounts, employing multiple patented technologies to reduce failure rates. The large base solution also incorporates assembly robots and tracked cleaning robots developed by Trina, which significantly enhance installation efficiency and autonomously gather environmental data for cleaning, boosting energy generation by 5% to 10% while ensuring optimal operational status throughout the product lifecycle. Additionally, Trina can provide high-protection design energy storage systems that reliably support customer returns even in challenging environments. As the only company in the industry to offer an integrated solution of modules, mounts, and energy storage, Trina Solar’s TOPCon modules, mounts, and energy storage have been successfully implemented in the Shage Desert Base scenario and have received high recognition from clients worldwide.
