Gaurav Mathur, India Head at Trina Solar

June 08, 2023. By News Bureau

Que: Trina Solar is a prominent PV and smart energy solution provider. Could you walk us through your product portfolio for the PV sector along with your market footprint and clientele?

Ans: Trina Solar has been a consistent leader in the Indian market in terms of technology and module shipments. We announced in July last year, that since the company started in India in 2010, we have shipped over 8 GW of solar modules – accounting for almost 10 percent of India's total installations. Such large volumes of business demonstrate our commitment to the Indian market to provide high-power modules with high efficiency for a greener future.The Vertex DE21 module series has been very successful in India. These modules are based on our latest 210 technology and have the potential to increase a developer's revenue by delivering maximum power output and efficiency. The high power and high efficiency of our Vertex modules mean developers need fewer modules to achieve the total power output earmarked for the project. Fewer modules, in turn, mean less land, trenching, cabling, wiring, etc. required for the project, delivering a lower balance of system (BOS) cost and lower levelised cost of energy (LCOE).With regards to the tracker segment, Trina Tracker installed its first tracker in India last year. Trina Solar is the only solar manufacturer that also produces trackers. We have signed agreements this year worth over 1 GW of solar capacity, helping us to further boost our market share in India, especially in the utility-scale segment. For example, we recently concluded a project with a leading solar company in India supplying modules worth 160 MW. Our commercial and industrial (C&I) business has also gained traction and we see an increased demand for our solar modules in the textile industry, especially from the western part of India. Lastly, Trina Solar has been a market leader in technological innovations in India. This year, we will be launching our first n-type solar PV module that will further cement our presence and footprint in the market. The dual-glass bi-facial 210mm n-type solar modules have been designed to offer 685W maximum power output and up to 22.1 percent module efficiency. We believe this technology is a ‘game changer’ and the ideal choice for developers of utility-scale and C&I projects.

Que: India is Trina Solar's largest market in the Asia-Pacific region after China. Please shed some light on the company's ongoing projects in India along with the future roadmap.

Ans: Trina Solar has been present in the Indian market for 13 years and as of today, we have shipped cumulatively about 9 GW of solar capacity to India. This speaks volumes about our reputation in the market and the trust our customers have in our products.We will continue to focus primarily on the utility-scale segment as well as C&I projects. The residential segment has yet to take off in India, so C&I accounts for 70-80 percent of India's rooftop installations. The increased focus on sustainability has propelled many C&I companies to switch to solar energy. We will also continue to showcase our new products in India to support the solar industry. We also offer integrated solutions that integrate both the module and the tracker. In terms of new module products for India, our Vertex N module is now being evaluated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The product will launch in India once it receives the BIS certification. Our second-generation Vanguard 2P tracker will also be launching in India soon. In the long run, another key focus will be the introduction of Trina Solar's Elementa Battery Energy Storage Solution in India. This is an additional piece to our total solutions offering. We have been the preferred partner for many developers in India because of our reputation in the market, our ability to deliver large volumes on time, and the stability of our organisation in India and elsewhere. Customers in India like the fact that our staff has remained with Trina Solar throughout the years. In the long run, we plan to continue to delight our customers with our innovative solar PV products and solutions and our flexibility and capacity to meet local requirements.

Que: Tell us about i-TOPCon and other new/emerging technologies in the solar module industry.

Ans: The technology of i-TOPCon, also known as tunnel oxide passivated contact technology, is the next big thing in the solar industry. This technology provides a further boost to the cell's efficiency. When a PERC solar cell is paired with an ultra-thin tunnelling oxide layer, it adds another barrier to contain unabsorbed light, increasing the cell's efficiency. Higher efficiency modules allow the panel to harvest more energy per unit area. i-TOPCon modules also have an 80 percent bi-faciality rate. Trina Solar is focused on growing its n-type i-TOPCon capacity. Market demand for the n-type modules is already far higher than p-type. Panels that use p-type technology are cheaper to buy but n-type modules are cheaper on a per-watt basis, making it more cost-effective and competitive than older modules.

Que: What are the advantages of Vertex N technology? With n-type modules reaching a critical point of cost-effectiveness, what future do you foresee for Vertex N?

Ans: There are several reasons that make the Vertex N technology advantageous for customers. Firstly, the power of the Vertex N module is generally 15-20 W higher than that of similar n-type modules in the market. Trina Solar's low voltage design means you can have more modules per string, reducing the balance of system (BOS) cost.Secondly, the power degradation in the Vertex N modules is much lower than in the p-type modules. The degradation in n-type modules is about 1 percent in the first year and 0.40 percent yearly after that. On the other hand, p-type has a power degradation of 2 percent in the first year and 0.45 percent yearly after that. Overall, the module power degradation after 30 years of use of n-type is 2.45 percent lower than p-type. This is one of the reasons why the n-type double-glass modules have more power than p-type modules.The traditional p-type module has reached, in terms of further development, close to the maximum of what it can achieve in terms of further efficiency gains. The n-type cell is a better platform for achieving further breakthroughs in solar cell efficiency. The market is migrating to n-type i-TOPCon technology and we, at Trina Solar, are at the forefront of commercializing this technology, ramping up production and making it a mainstream product. Higher production leads to economies of scale, further reducing the cost difference between the p-type and n-type modules and facilitating their adoption in the market. We started mass producing the Vertex N modules at the end of last year and we envision our n-type module capacity to reach 95 GW, and our cell capacity to reach 40 GW by the end of this year.

Que: Last year, Trina Solar developed an upgraded version of Vertex S 425 W all-black solar module with 21.3 percent efficiency for the Australian market. Do you have any plans to launch it in other markets as well?

Ans: We launched the Vertex S All-Black module, also known as the Vertex S Aesthetic module, last year for residential and C&I rooftop segments in Australia, Japan, Europe, and other markets. We saw a positive response to the product in these markets. It is the first module series to win the Red Dot design award, the world's top award for product design. We are not actively promoting the product in India, because it is a premium product whereas households in India are very price-conscious. They are more concerned about the price of the module than its aesthetic appeal. It is popular in Australia and Japan because households there are less price-conscious.

Que: What are your views on India's ambitious plan to install 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030? Where do you place yourself in this growth story?

Ans: It is a very ambitious target; achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 is a very short time frame. Challenging target such as this plays to the strengths of solar as a source of renewable energy. Unlike some other forms of renewable energy, solar can be, more quickly and readily deployed. This may explain why 280 GW of the 500 GW has been earmarked for solar, creating a huge market opportunity for the solar sector. As a trusted partner, Trina Solar has been integral to India's solar growth story. Our vision is to continue to provide more module capacity and bring in more innovative PV products and solutions to help India achieve its targets.For India to meet its energy goals by 2030, further policy tweaks are necessary. First, the Approved List of Modules Manufacturers (ALMM) is a disruptive initiative that makes it harder for global players to make their way into India. This has resulted in an over-reliance on local production, making it challenging for developers to execute solar projects. For example, developers demand 500 W+ modules for higher efficiency and cost reduction. But only about 3 GW of ALMM list modules meet this requirement. Although Chinese and other foreign companies have applied for inclusion in the list, neither has received approvals. To help India meet its renewable energy targets, it is advisable to open India's domestic solar market to foreign manufacturers.Secondly, tariffs should be lifted against modules imported from overseas. Tariffs only lead to higher prices for consumers. It is evident that local manufacturers of solar modules have increased the price of their modules.

Que: Please comment on the current and upcoming trends in the solar industry. Also, share your outlook on the government policies for the solar energy sector.

Ans: Bifacial PERC modules have become very popular in India. Bifacial modules cost more than mono-facial but the additional power generated from the backside of the module makes it a worthwhile investment. Bifacial modules yield up to 25 percent more energy generation, reducing the levelised cost of energy (LCOE). Trackers are also becoming popular now in India – especially in southern and western India - whereas previously it was a fixed-tilt market. The tracker allows the bifacial modules to capture more sunlight throughout the day.

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