From governments to investors, and from residents to corporations, the country continues driving toward ambitious carbon-neutral goals. Achieving these targets will be no easy endeavor, and it will fall in part on solar developers and EPCs to find the best solutions.

To meet this growing demand, they’ll need modules that can continue delivering reliable renewable energy at the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE).  

Enter the 210 Vertex series modules from Trina Solar. Representing a significant breakthrough in production capacity, performance and reliablity, Trina designed the 210 Vertex series specifically to meet this historic moment. Recently, Trina Solar published the 210 Vertex White Paper 2.0 globally, which comprehensively presents the significant value the 210 ultra-high power modules deliver to the industry.

One of the highlights from this paper shows how the 210mm Vertex modules help developers and EPCs achieve the lowest LCOE. Let’s take a look at how the 210 Vertex series accomplishes this.

Solar’s role in the renewable energy transformation

Since 2009, the average LCOE of large, ground-mounted PV plants worldwide has dropped nearly 87%, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). This precipitous decline has driven adoption of solar over this same period, and it created an environment favorable for even more capacity additions in the coming years. 

After installing a record 19.2 GWdc of capacity in 2020, industry analysts forecast the deployment of an additional 324 GWdc of new capacity over the next 10 years, according to Wood Mackenzie. This would put the U.S. solar industry capacity at 419 GWdc – or enough to power around 75 million American homes.

These numbers highlight the key role solar will play in transitioning the country into the renewable energy era. Remaining competitive in this surging sector will mean developers and EPCs need to identify successful ways to cut risks and costs to boost project value.

210mm Vertex is key to price parity

Not just any old solar module can help developers and EPCs achieve the lowest LCOE. Accomplishing this requires a panel that is high-power, high-efficiency and high-reliability.

The 210mm Vertex modules incorporate several innovative features that do just that, making them the ideal module for ushering in the next era of renewable energy. They can achieve a low LCOE by reducing the initial project investment and increasing the total life-cycle power generation of the PV system – two key factors in the LCOE formula.

The modules’ 210mm silicon wafer size follows a years-long trend among manufacturers to fine tune wafer sizes to boost efficiency and reliability. Larger wafer sizes just can’t deliver the same value. The 210mm lives at the upper size limit for wafers, which means it will remain the best value option for at least the next 10 years. And, in the ever-evolving solar industry, that’s saying something.

Reducing initial project investment

The initial project investment is dependent upon module power and efficiency improvements. 

The 210 Vertex reduces this initial investment by using a more efficient system, designed to achieve a low voltage and high current and lower balance of system (BOS) costs. This unique low-voltage, high-string combination allows for more modules per single string, which means fewer strings required. The string power of 600W+ modules is 41% greater than that of other modules in the industry, and BOS cost savings can be as high as 4 to 6%, providing a significant overall advantage for further reducing LCOE. With the right size PV system, this design can reduce the initial investment and cost sharing of the system. 

The average efficiency of 210mm Vertex modules reaches at least 21.5%, a significant boost over similar solar wafer sizes.

Increasing total life-cycle power generation

As the pinnacle of Trina Solar’s high-power era, the Vertex series’ power ranges from 410W+ for residential modules up to 670W+ for utility-scale modules. Compared to the current industrial average of 370W+ to 580W+ modules, the higher power Vertex modules create more value for customers over the life-cycle of the PV system. 

Combined, the 210mm Vertex modules’ lower initial investment while boosting life-cycle power generation to deliver the price parity developers and EPCs need. 

Widespread component compatibility

The 210mm Vertex modules also bring additional benefits for developers and EPCs in the form of widespread component compatibility. 

Unlike other modules on the market, the 210mm Vertex modules are highly compatible with a much wider variety of major solar components cmopared to other large sized wafers, such as the 182mm. This includes trackers, racking, and both string and central inverters. This widespread compatibility mitigates risks during interconnection and commissioning. It also helps avoid costly delays and cut soft costs in the process.

With Trina Solar leading the way in standardizing the 210mm PV industry, component compatibility should become even more common in the solar supply chain.

Want to learn more about how Trina Solar’s 210mm Vertex modules help achieve the lowest LCOE? Download the 210 Vertex White Paper 2.0 today or reach out to solar experts at Trina Solar.