Even though photovoltaics has entered the era of grid parity, and the cost of photovoltaic power generation in many regions is already lower than that of traditional energy, companies are still making continuous progress on the road to reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
Over the past decade, technological and process innovation, along with large-scale mass production to spread R&D costs, has been the main direction for cost reduction and efficiency improvement. However, with the advent of the affordable era, these two methods have reached their limits. Further cost reduction and efficiency improvement will require the support of intelligent technologies.
Intelligent manufacturing has already been widely applied in the manufacturing sector. For example, flexible production in automobile factories has greatly helped car manufacturers, which is why we see that despite increasingly higher overall levels of automotive technology, car prices have not only not increased but have even slightly decreased.
In the photovoltaic industry, intelligent technology is also beginning to help companies and users reduce costs and increase efficiency. Upstream in the industry chain, silicon wafer giant Zhonghuan Semiconductor has already built a smart factory that can increase labor productivity by more than three times, increase project capacity by more than two times, and effectively increase overall capacity from the originally planned 10GW to 25GW.
In terms of supporting facilities, tracking brackets can effectively help users increase power generation, and their market share is increasing. Bracket manufacturers have also launched more intelligent tracking brackets that not only rotate but also track sunlight based on differences in terrain, temperature, and other factors, maximizing the conversion of every ray of sunlight into electricity.
At the operation and maintenance level, the intelligence is even more evident. Operation and maintenance companies can use excellent monitoring systems to promptly detect external influences on components, such as components being shaded or which components have significantly reduced power generation. They can then conduct timely inspections to increase power generation and help users increase their revenue.
As more and more technology companies enter the photovoltaic industry, intelligent technology will permeate every aspect of the industry, helping to further reduce costs and increase efficiency.
