Trina Solar to supply 1.5GW of PV to Australia, Pacific Islands

China solar giant Trina has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japanese industrial giant Marubeni Corporation to supply 1.5GW of solar modules to Australia and the surrounding Oceania region over the next five years.

This comes after a raft of moves from the Chinese company into the Australian market over the last few years, including both photovoltaic systems and energy storage.

The 1.5GW of solar being supplied come from the Vertex N series of modules, which use 210 mm long solar cells – larger than standard cells.

“The Oceanic region has great potential to harness the power of solar energy on its numerous off-grid islands,” said Edison Zhou, Head of Trina Solar of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“We thank Marubeni Australia for choosing Trina Solar as its partner. This MoU signifies a long-term strategic partnership for both parties to jointly help the region ramp up its solar capacity.”

“Marubeni Australia has a long-standing relationship with Trina Solar for well over 10 years,” said Hiroyuki Shimada, General Manager of Marubeni Australia.

“The MoU signifies the continued strong relationship and aspirations to further grow the Australasia and Pacific module distribution business and solar project opportunities.”

The agreement stipulates that Trina Solar will supply Vertex modules with n-type i-TOPCon cell technology which uses phosphorus instead of boron to generate electrons.

This makes the solar panel negatively charged, which Trina says allows electrons to flow more efficiently.

“Traditionally, manufacturers have made solar panels with P-Type cells. However, introducing boron to oxygen can cause the solar cell to lose purity, negatively impacting its efficiency,” they write.

“Boron is also prone to degradation from light. In contrast, phosphorus isn’t, on either account.”

For residential and commercial projects, lightweight panels with 1.6+1.6mm ultra-thin dual glass design will be used as these provide higher reliability and safety. For larger commercial and industrial projects, higher power output modules will be used.

In 2020, Trina launched 600W Vertex modules, and they are currently working towards a 700W module.