On March 20, during the 10th China Energy Development and Innovation Conference, Trina Solar unveiled its latest high-value product solutions aimed at the Shage Desert Base. This solution is fully oriented towards the demands of the electricity market, rethinking the design and investment return logic of photovoltaic power plants. By focusing on power generation costs, high reliability against wind and sand, and efficient operation and maintenance products, it establishes three foundational pillars to maximize returns from electricity market transactions, thereby helping achieve both “incremental” and “qualitative” improvements in photovoltaic power generation.
Dr. Zhang Yingbin, head of Global Products, Strategy, and Marketing at Trina Solar, pointed out that the product solution, which comprises the i-TOPCon Ultra modules and Trina’s tracking system, fully meets the photovoltaic application needs in large-scale base scenarios. The solution enhances energy generation per watt and total energy output over the lifespan by leveraging high overall efficiency, advantages in low irradiation generation, and optimized tracking bracket algorithms. Moreover, it achieves a lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) through increased power generation during high-price periods and reduced balance of system (BOS) costs. Compared to the BC product combined with industry-standard 1P tracking, Trina Solar’s large-scale solution can enhance system value by 0.126 yuan per watt and reduce LCOE by 4.37%, potentially yielding an annual gain of up to 2.396 million yuan for a 100 MW power station, thus providing more benefits for customers.
The Shage Desert area, with its abundant solar resources, has become the preferred choice for large-scale ground-based station projects. According to relevant plans, the total scale of wind and solar bases is expected to reach 455 GW by 2030, indicating significant development potential for large base scenarios. The region’s high surface reflectivity is beneficial for bifacial modules, though it also faces severe climatic challenges, including strong winds and high temperature fluctuations. Dr. Zhang noted that after thoroughly researching the characteristics of large base scenarios, Trina Solar launched this solution, which meets the demand for minimal electricity costs, high reliability against wind and sand, and efficient operation and maintenance products.
This solution is also based on the logic of electricity market transactions. Under the reform of market-based pricing for new energy, the market requires more competitive electricity costs to maximize returns. Data from the Shandong Electric Power Trading Center indicates that the peak power output periods for photovoltaic stations coincide with the lowest electricity prices. Thus, increasing power generation during high-price hours can enhance investment returns and overall profitability. Dr. Zhang emphasized that achieving a more competitive LCOE is crucially tied to lowering initial system investments while increasing overall energy generation and production during high-price periods. The Trina Solar large-scale solution reduces BOS costs and initial system investments through the more efficient i-TOPCon Ultra modules and higher power per unit area, while simultaneously increasing output during high-price periods and total energy generation over the system’s lifecycle with the advantages of low irradiation generation and high overall efficiency, ultimately achieving lower electricity costs. A lower electricity cost translates to greater profits.
The Trina Solar large-scale product solution, utilizing the high bifacial capabilities and excellent low irradiation performance of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules combined with the intelligent algorithms of the Trina 1P tracking system, offers significant advantages in BOS costs, energy generation, and LCOE, making it a superior choice for Shage Desert base scenarios. It is well-known that TOPCon modules have high bifacial rates and low irradiation performance advantages. When paired with fixed mounting systems, they already provide greater overall value than TBC modules: increasing energy generation by 1.98%, enhancing overall value by 0.0263 yuan per watt, and reducing LCOE by 1.24%. Upon upgrading to the i-TOPCon Ultra technology, Trina Solar’s supreme N-type modules exhibit a bifacial rate 10-15% higher than TBC modules. In the Shage Desert project site, where surface reflectivity ranges from 25% to 30%, the i-TOPCon Ultra modules provide a 2.53% increase in energy generation and a 0.0524 yuan per watt increase in overall value compared to TBC modules, with a LCOE reduction of 2.27%. If a TBC premium of 0.05 yuan per watt is considered, the advantages of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules would expand even further, with the overall value increasing to 0.1024 yuan per watt and the LCOE advantage widening to 4.08%. Overall, the value of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules combined with the Trina 1P tracking system significantly surpasses that of fixed mounting systems.
As per calculations, the Trina Solar i-TOPCon Ultra module combined with the Trina 1P tracking system demonstrates a 4.71% higher overall energy generation compared to TBC plus industry-standard 1P tracking, with a system overall value increase of 0.126 yuan per watt and an LCOE reduction of 4.37%, making it the preferred choice for projects seeking minimal electricity costs. Similarly, considering a TBC premium of 0.05 yuan per watt, the overall value of the i-TOPCon Ultra plus Trina 1P tracking solution increases to 0.176 yuan per watt, with the LCOE advantage expanding to 5.98%.
As the integration of new energy into market-based electricity trading deepens, the Trina Solar large-scale product solution benefits from the excellent low irradiation performance of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules, which can generate an additional 5%-10% power in the early morning and late evening compared to BC modules. Furthermore, the Trina 1P tracking system can adjust angles flexibly based on intelligent algorithms during these high-price periods, increasing output by 10% and raising the weighted price per kilowatt-hour by at least 1.1 cents. The Trina Solar large-scale solution can increase annual revenues for a 100 MW station by 2.396 million yuan, improving the internal rate of return (IRR) by 0.97%. Notably, due to the high bifacial rate, excellent low irradiation performance of the i-TOPCon Ultra modules, and the high output advantages of the Trina 1P tracking system, this product solution not only brings substantial gains to the Shage Desert base scenario but is also applicable to all bifacial generation scenarios globally. Wherever there are electricity price differences in the market, the Trina Solar large-scale solution holds advantages. According to InfoLink’s projections, the global share of bifacial scenarios will reach 86%-88% between 2025 and 2028, significantly expanding the global application range of Trina Solar’s product solutions.
In the Shage Desert base scenario, where strong winds often exceed level 8 and are accompanied by sandstorms, ensuring the reliability of photovoltaic products is crucial. To guarantee product and system reliability, Trina Solar has reinforced the frames of its TOPCon modules and tracking brackets, employing multiple patented technologies to reduce failure rates. The large-scale solution also includes assembly installation robots and tracked cleaning robots introduced by Trina, which not only significantly enhance installation efficiency but also autonomously perceive environmental data for cleaning, boosting energy generation by 5%-10%, and ensuring intelligent operation and maintenance throughout the lifecycle to keep photovoltaic modules in optimal generation condition. Additionally, for the Shage Desert base, Trina Solar can provide a highly protective Trina Energy Storage System, ensuring stable customer returns even in harsh environments. As the only company in the industry offering a comprehensive solution that includes modules, brackets, and energy storage, Trina Solar’s TOPCon modules, brackets, and energy storage have all been applied in Shage Desert base scenarios and have received high recognition from global customers.
