Shu Hua, vice president for the largest China-based solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafer maker GCL-Poly Energy Holdings, and Li Zhenguo, chairman of largest China-based solar-grade monocrystalline silicon wafer maker Xi'an LONGi Silicon Materials, recently argued about the relative competitiveness of their products at the 2016 Taiwan International Photovoltaic Exhibition (PV Taiwan) that took place in Taipei during October 12-14.
Monocrystalline silicon wafers have higher energy conversion rates and production cost than polycrystalline models, but more important is that the latter have higher performance-cost ratios due to lower cost per kWh of electricity generated, Shu said.
In addition, GCL-Poly Energy has adopted a diamond wire method to slice ingots into wafers to lower production costs for polycrystalline silicon wafers and thereby increase competitiveness, Shu indicated.
PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) solar cells made from monocrystalline silicon wafers have energy conversion rates of 21.5-21.6%, while PERC solar cells made from polycrystalline silicon wafers have those of 20.2-20.3%, Li noted. The gap of about 1.3 percentage points is enough to offset gap in production cost to render monocrystalline silicon wafers more competitive, Li indicated. Consequently, 80% of project undertakers of model (pilot) PV power-generating stations to be established in China adopt PV modules made of monocrystalline solar cells and 20% adopt PV modules made of polycrystalline solar cells, Li said.
GCL-Poly Energy Holdings vice president Shu Hua
Photo: Fu Shih-min, Digitimes, October 2016
Xi'an LONGi Silicon Materials chairman Li Zhengguo
Photo: Fu Shih-min, Digitimes, October 2016
Article translated by Adam Hwang
