China's PV sector contributes to world low

A panoramic view of a solar panel field in Huichang, East China's Jiangxi. Local government in recent years has developed several solar panel plus poverty alleviation projects, which have increased people's incomes and provided more jobs. Photo: cnsphoto

China's photovoltaic (PV) industry has made a great contribution to the world's low carbon development, and protectionism will only pose a burden on green transition costs, Chinese PV enterprises said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos.

Tariffs and other trade barriers will not affect China's green development, and the determination of Chinese enterprises to further strengthen international cooperation will not change, business leaders noted, calling for more dialogue and communication amid a turbulent external environment.

"China's contribution to the world's green energy transition is enormous. Taking JinkoSolar as an example, as of the end of the second quarter of this year, the total shipment volume is expected to reach about 270 gigawatts, which means one out of every eight PV modules installed in the world is made by JinkoSolar, and one out of every eight kilograms of carbon dioxide emission reduction contributed by JinkoSolar, a single Chinese solar PV company," Qian Dany, global vice president of JinkoSolar told the Global Times on Wednesday.

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co is another leader among Chinese PV firms driving low-carbon tech innovation.

Xie Tian, general manager of LONGi's Strategic Management Center, told the Global Times on Wednesday that it has been calculated that the direct energy consumption from silicon material to PV modules is only about 0.4 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per watt, while each watt of PV modules generates about 45 kWh of electricity over its full life cycle of 30 years. 

"From 0.4 to 45 kWh, PV ultimately produces 100 times more energy efficiency than its production cost. It is a veritable 'amplifier' of green energy," Xie noted.

On June 14, LONGi Green Energy Technology Co announced a major breakthrough in the development of its silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells with its photovoltaic conversion efficiency reaching 34.6 percent.

In November 2023, the LONGi tandem solar cell team achieved an efficiency of 33.9 percent for tandem cells. Less than a year later, they have broken the record once again, demonstrating Chinese enterprises' strong R&D capabilities and relentless pursuit of exploration.

China's PV companies have continued to reduce costs through technological innovation, making PV a truly fair, equitable and monopoly-busting energy source. In the past, only rich countries could afford to use it, and they had to rely on national government subsidies, but now PV power generation can be used wherever there is sunlight, Qian said.

According to the International Energy Agency, China's provision of relevant services and support to other countries has significantly increased the accessibility of clean energy technologies and lowered the cost of using green technologies globally.

China's PV enterprises have continued to expand their presence overseas by building factories, creating jobs for local people and bringing tax revenues, and helping establish a complete supply chain, as well as applications from upstream to downstream, Qian further noted. 

In terms of the so-called overcapacity that has been hyped by some Western politicians and media outlets, she said that there is no innovation and technology advancement without competition, and if the output of a product is exactly equal to its sales volume, then there will be no progress.

Xie said that mutual trust as well as dialogue and communication have become increasingly important in addressing differences and enhancing international cooperation to address climate changes.

"The relevant protectionist measures taken by Europe and the US against China's green industry will only increase their green transition costs, but will not affect our determination to enhance international cooperation and promote global low-carbon development," Qian said.

Despite global uncertainties, China remains committed to green development and is making every effort to achieve its dual carbon goals. More Chinese enterprises will act as a main force in promoting a global energy transition, Xie noted.