Tony Zhu, vp of JA Solar, mentioned PV manufacturing within the present market state of affairs, and the necessity to concentrate on high quality all through the availability chain, to make sure higher efficiency and longer life from PV modules.
Where are the important thing markets for JA Solar in 2024?
Zhu: Our focus is worldwide, we have now shipped to 165 international locations, and we have now established gross sales workplaces in several areas. We are seeing speedy development in rising markets and in additional established areas resembling Europe and China.
We have an operations workplace in Europe, and we’re additionally establishing one within the US. After-sales service, technical assist, logistics and so on. are absolutely established in these areas, in order that we are able to assist our shoppers on the bottom. That’s an vital subject, and one which we have seen some corporations neglect within the push to scale back prices.
JA Solar has plans for manufacturing capability within the US, are you able to speak about this venture, the way it works?
Zhu: The first 2 GW venture is focused to be ramped up within the third quarter of this 12 months. We see this preliminary manufacturing line as a check mattress for our US manufacturing operations, and we’re alternatives to increase sooner or later.
We are additionally exploring alternatives and searching for companions in different areas, however our precedence proper now could be the US. We welcome new cooperations and partnerships in several areas, even in gross sales and operations, manufacturing, financing tasks – we’re working with companions in lots of areas and we are able to see extra on the horizon.
Do you will have plans to arrange manufacturing in different areas in addition to the US?
Zhu: Yes, undoubtedly. We have goal market shares for various areas masking the following three to 5 years, and it is very important put together what we may have by way of native provide to satisfy them. We have common discussions about these points and the alternatives we are able to get in several areas to extend our exercise and accessible provide. But that is all within the analysis stage, we have now no new manufacturing tasks outdoors of China to announce, apart from the US module meeting strains.
Prices for PV modules reached new lows final 12 months – how do you see the market at the moment?
Zhu: Supply has grown quicker than demand prior to now few years. We imagine that within the subsequent two quarters, some factories that produce outdated, outdated expertise, and a few small suppliers, might be rejected from the market. In the long term, demand alongside the silicon provide chain is sustained sufficient to handle these cycles, though it’s a difficult atmosphere to do enterprise.
For JA Solar, the results of that is that we have now slowed down a few of our deliberate capability growth. So far, there’s little readability on how demand will develop or how a lot manufacturing capability will exit the market and when. We have slowed down some tasks and are ready for the best alternative to restart funding in manufacturing growth.
Do you count on the value to drop additional earlier than we see a change on this state of affairs?
Zhu: As a vertically built-in provider, our view is that each half is shedding cash now, and that is unsustainable. The business must get again to a stage the place each section achieves optimistic money circulation.
Image: JA Solar
Where do costs must be for this to occur?
Zhu: Currently, we see between 12 and 13 cents per watt (USD) – two to a few cents above the present stage, as an inexpensive quantity that may permit corporations within the provide chain to get by. I additionally talked to our prospects, and they don’t assume that pricing at this stage can have a big effect on the return of the venture sector or on the expansion of world demand.
Downstream builders and installers want the soundness it brings. They concern that if costs fall, once they ultimately rise it can turn into very tough to finance tasks. The present value state of affairs will not be wholesome for your complete business.
When it involves expertise, the place are you centered in the meanwhile?
Zhu: We are dedicated to tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), and we are actually introducing our new era TOPCon product. We have achieved roughly 26.5% cell effectivity in manufacturing and count on to extend it by one other 0.3% this 12 months.
We have a transparent roadmap in place that focuses on additional will increase in effectivity over the following three years – an excellent signal that this expertise will have the ability to preserve market share within the medium time period. We imagine that TOPCon is probably the most economically environment friendly expertise a minimum of presently, and the best choice for brand new capability funding as effectively.
Where do you see the ceiling by way of potential efficiency at TOPCon?
Zhu: For the following two years a minimum of, we count on to attain effectivity will increase of 0.5% per 12 months. At this stage we won’t disclose the precise improvements we’re engaged on to attain this, however we have now a transparent street map. On high of that, we count on extra developments at TOPCon that might be more durable to attain.
What different cell and module applied sciences are on the JA expertise map?
Zhu: Currently, tandem cell expertise is our analysis precedence. We count on this expertise to have an effect available on the market, representing an enormous step ahead for photo voltaic expertise.
We have check cells and prototype stage, and out of doors exams are ongoing. There are a lot of completely different mixtures being explored, and far will depend upon the route taken by analysis and growth organizations and tools suppliers, in addition to producers resembling JA Solar.
We need to ship the message that the business must concentrate on long-term worth and decrease the extent of electrical energy prices, not simply on pricing as has occurred in earlier years. Quality, and lifelong, needs to be an important considerations for your complete business.
The questions and solutions on this sponsored interview article have been supplied by JA Solar.
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