PRESS RELEASE
Solar module manufacturers are readying the next wave of 500+Wp processes. Since JinkoSolar Cheetah made transition to a new wafer size of 158”, the industry realized that module size could go in various directions. They will try to extend the size as much as possible, bigger wafer is still in play, but that’s not the only possible scenario. The technology requires some breakthroughs, and the industry needs several process innovations in terms of overall improvement.
In R&D, the industry is working on ways to enhance power performance and module efficiency. At this point, 500Wp provides only a modest scaling boost over 450Wp or Tiger like panels, ranging from 450-475Wp. In comparison, JinkoSolar’s newly launched Tiger Pro has demonstrated the scalability of a record high power panel up to 580Wp. This was done by improving tiling ribbon and multi busbar process. In all likelihood, it is getting ready for this new manufacturing process at 550+ Wp, according to the roadmap from JinkoSolar with visibility in the landscape.
The path to Tiger Pro is well-defined compared to other offerings. From project developers and investors’ point of view, the benefits are already clear-cut: more power, higher efficiency, higher power density and better performance over time. Today, Tiger Pro is the only module series capable of providing processes at 550Wp and beyond.
“Cheetah provides enough performance for most projects, which is why it will be a long-running model. Beyond Cheetah, there are several high-performance options on the table, all with lower scaling possibility or higher defect rates.
So at this cadence, we introduced a new process technology of tiling ribbon with more power density, enabling the panel to deliver a 10-15 watt boost for the same size of panel.” said Dany Qian, VP of JinkoSolar at Tiger Pro online launch event.
At advanced process, tiling ribbon and multi busbar, which were initially adopted in the first generation of Tiger, are now extended to Tiger Pro series. This process is being evaluated as a possible scaling option and tightly followed by other leading edge vendors.
