March 1, 2019 at 13:34Breaking News: Western Hemisphere's largest solar cell plant launched
- Transfer
Hanwha Q Cells began shipping the first solar panels from its 1.7GW plant on the Georgia-Tennessee border. This is the second largest plant in the United States, producing solar modules, launched production this week.
A few weeks ago, we [ pv-magazine-usa resource - translator's note] were wondering when the plants for the production of solar modules with a total capacity of 3.8 GW, which were announced last year in winter and spring, will start working. It turns out that the wait was not long.
Just 2 days after JinkoSolar opened its 400MW plant in Jacksonville, Florida, Hanwha Q Cellsannounced the opening of its large plant in Dalton, Georgia. Upon reaching full load, the plant will be able to produce 1.7 GW of solar modules per year, and the first shipments have already begun. Like JinkoSolar, Hanwha Q Cells is currently not operating at full capacity. The company gives very little information, but reported that production started on February 1, 2019.
Hanwha Q Cells manufactures its Q. Peak Duo L-G5 modules ( technical description and passport ) at the factory , which include 144 halves of single-crystal-PERC cells, which makes them equivalent to traditional 72-cell modules.
Such a large plant producing half PERC modules suggests that such technology is really in demand. Similar modules have been produced by Singapore-based REC company for several years, but Q Cells was the first to use this technology for mass production.
The solar cells used in the production have 6 collector buses and this, in total with a half form, increases the generation of electricity from the cell. And PERC technology(passive emitter of the rear contact) provides the modules with a high rated power of 380–395 W with an efficiency of the modules from 18.9 to 19.6%.
These modules will be delivered to one of the largest solar projects in the south of the United States - a 102.5MW solar power plant in Earley County, which is being built by Silicon Ranch. This power plant, as well as several others, will power the new Facebook data center in Newton, Georgia.
As mentioned earlier, this is the second of four large plants planned to be built after the Republicans introduced Section 201 Solar Tariffs in connection with the tax reform [ increased tariffs on the import of “solar products” for 4 years - translator's note] . For other projects, the contractor building the LG 500mW plant in Huntsville, Alabama, said construction was completed, but it was unclear when the facility would be connected to the network.
In addition, First Solar is building a plant of photovoltaic modules with capacity of 1.2 GW in Ohio to produce its huge thin-film modules Series 6 based on cadmium telluride . The company says that this plant will produce modules by the end of 2019.
In total, these four plants will increase the combined power of photovoltaic modules in the United States to approximately 5 GW. This represents about half of the current solar energy market in the country.
_________
From the translator: Clickbait heading is not my whim. This is the original news headline.
A few weeks ago, we [ pv-magazine-usa resource - translator's note] were wondering when the plants for the production of solar modules with a total capacity of 3.8 GW, which were announced last year in winter and spring, will start working. It turns out that the wait was not long.
Just 2 days after JinkoSolar opened its 400MW plant in Jacksonville, Florida, Hanwha Q Cellsannounced the opening of its large plant in Dalton, Georgia. Upon reaching full load, the plant will be able to produce 1.7 GW of solar modules per year, and the first shipments have already begun. Like JinkoSolar, Hanwha Q Cells is currently not operating at full capacity. The company gives very little information, but reported that production started on February 1, 2019.
Half single-crystal modules
Hanwha Q Cells manufactures its Q. Peak Duo L-G5 modules ( technical description and passport ) at the factory , which include 144 halves of single-crystal-PERC cells, which makes them equivalent to traditional 72-cell modules.
Such a large plant producing half PERC modules suggests that such technology is really in demand. Similar modules have been produced by Singapore-based REC company for several years, but Q Cells was the first to use this technology for mass production.
The solar cells used in the production have 6 collector buses and this, in total with a half form, increases the generation of electricity from the cell. And PERC technology(passive emitter of the rear contact) provides the modules with a high rated power of 380–395 W with an efficiency of the modules from 18.9 to 19.6%.
These modules will be delivered to one of the largest solar projects in the south of the United States - a 102.5MW solar power plant in Earley County, which is being built by Silicon Ranch. This power plant, as well as several others, will power the new Facebook data center in Newton, Georgia.
4 factories
As mentioned earlier, this is the second of four large plants planned to be built after the Republicans introduced Section 201 Solar Tariffs in connection with the tax reform [ increased tariffs on the import of “solar products” for 4 years - translator's note] . For other projects, the contractor building the LG 500mW plant in Huntsville, Alabama, said construction was completed, but it was unclear when the facility would be connected to the network.
In addition, First Solar is building a plant of photovoltaic modules with capacity of 1.2 GW in Ohio to produce its huge thin-film modules Series 6 based on cadmium telluride . The company says that this plant will produce modules by the end of 2019.
In total, these four plants will increase the combined power of photovoltaic modules in the United States to approximately 5 GW. This represents about half of the current solar energy market in the country.
_________
From the translator: Clickbait heading is not my whim. This is the original news headline.