China Solar PV News Snippets: Global Recognition For LONGi’s HPBC 2.0 Module Efficiency & More
LONGi’s HPBC 2.0 module has earned inclusion in both the latest edition of NREL’s Champion Module Efficiencies and the 65th edition of Professor Martin Green’s Solar Cell Efficiency Tables. (Photo Credit: TaiyangNews)
LONGi HPBC 2.0 module efficiency gains global recognition
World’s largest solar manufacturer LONGi Green Energy has announced that its latest HPBC 2.0 module has been included in the latest edition of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Champion Module Efficiencies and the 65th edition of Professor Martin Green’s Solar Cell Efficiency Tables. These authoritative international rankings list LONGi’s HPBC 2.0 crystalline silicon module with a conversion efficiency of 25.4%, marking the first time since 1988 that a Chinese solar technology company has set a world record for crystalline silicon module efficiency. LONGi has launched 2 series of solar modules based on HPBC 2.0 technology – Hi-MO 9 and Hi-MO X10 – targeting utility and distributed markets, respectively.
Recently, LONGi’s ESG rating was upgraded to BBB by MSCI, placing it at the top in the PV sector.
Antaisolar’s carbon neutrality plan
Solar tracker maker Antaisolar has unveiled its carbon neutrality plan as part of its first ESG report. According to the report, the company aims to achieve 100% operational carbon neutrality by 2025 and 80% production carbon neutrality by 2028. Also, the company targets a 50% recycling rate for scrap aluminum materials by 2028, 30% for scrap steel, with 90% recyclable packaging and 90% of vehicles in its fleet powered by new energy.
Antaisolar also highlighted its commitment to employee diversity, with female employees accounting for 47% of its workforce. The company states that employee growth is a key focus, with an average of 28 hours of skills development provided per employee during 2023. In 2023, the company received the EcoVadis Bronze Award.
Earlier this year, in July, Antaisolar was placed 12th overall and 8th for independent single-axis trackers globally in S&P Global solar tracker shipment rankings.
IHENG PV sets new record for 1.7 eV wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells
Solar R&D and manufacturing company IHENG PV has announced that its 1.7 eV wide-bandgap perovskite solar cell has achieved a conversion efficiency of 23%, as certified by the China Photovoltaic Testing Center (CPVT). The company claims this sets a new record for the highest certified efficiency for perovskite cells with a bandgap above 1.68 eV. IHENG PV further reported that its self-developed 1 cm² crystalline silicon/perovskite tandem cell has surpassed 32% efficiency, with ongoing research and development for commercial-sized tandem cells.
In August, IHENG PV received environmental approval for its 10 GW HJT tandem high-efficiency cell production base in Maoji District, Huainan City.
China issues new land use guidelines for PV projects
In a document titled Guiding Catalogue for High-Quality Industrial Development Supported by Natural Resources (2024 Edition), China has clarified land use and incentive policies for solar PV power generation projects. Jointly issued by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the guidelines state that solar arrays can utilize unused land or agricultural land (excluding rivers, lakes, and reservoirs) without altering surface morphology, provided ecological protection requirements are met. This allows developers to flexibly develop unused land such as wastelands and tidal flats, potentially lowering land costs. Large-scale PV base construction is classified as a priority project, with deserts, Gobi, and barren areas highlighted as key regions for solar industry growth.
The document also specifies that subsidence areas from coal mining and other damaged lands can be repurposed for solar projects, potentially integrated with agricultural facilities or alternative industries to support rural revitalization. Rural collective economic organizations are encouraged to participate in solar project development, promoting diversified rural economic growth.
China’s largest fishery-solar project grid-connected
The 1.09 GW seawall solar PV plant, developed by CHN Energy’s Guohua Investment, has been successfully grid-connected. With a total investment of RMB 6.5 billion ($915.10 million), the project is located in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, along the Bohai Sea coast, covering 1,733 hectares. The project has an AC capacity of 1.09 GW and is expected to generate 1.86 billion kWh annually.
Notably, the project is recognized as China’s largest ‘fishery-solar hybrid’ project, leveraging Cangzhou’s aquaculture industry to conduct research and apply green ecological aquaculture technologies in seawater pond ‘fishery-solar hybrid’ operations.