JA Solar Power Talk: The World’s First Dialogue—Standards, Catch-Up, Balance, and Innovation

Are certification standards always lagging behind industry development? Is there an inevitable trade-off among quality, performance, and cost? How can product technologies innovate under extreme operating conditions?

On June 30, 2025, at JA Solar Technology's Beijing headquarters, Mr. Miao Cunxing, General Manager of Photovoltaics at TÜV Nord, Ms. Zhu Xiaoliu, Vice President of Jiangsu Worldlight New Materials, and the head of JA Solar Technology's Module Research Department, served as guests on the first episode of JA Solar Power Talk, a new program hosted by JA Solar Technology, and held a unique live broadcast event for professionals worldwide.

This livestream is set against the backdrop of rapid growth in photovoltaic (PV) installations, dwindling high-quality land resources, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. It aims to explore how PV modules can maintain stable operation under extreme conditions. During the session, guests expanded on this topic, offering a wealth of insights that shed light on the resilience required for the industry’s future development.

IEC standards cannot cover all requirements.

Thanks to the continuous decline in the cost per kilowatt-hour and supportive policies from various countries, photovoltaic power generation has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Correspondingly, high-quality land resources are also rapidly diminishing, prompting PV installations to venture into increasingly extreme environments. Meanwhile, the frequent occurrence of extreme weather conditions further intensifies the challenges faced by PV installations.

According to data from renewable energy insurer GCube Insurance, from 2018 to 2023, climate-related insurance claims for clean energy projects—spanning 40 countries and with a total installed capacity exceeding 100 GW—increased by 280%. This serves as an important reminder to the industry: ensuring that photovoltaic components are resilient to extreme environments and weather conditions is crucial for maintaining system reliability and preserving financing value.

Over the past six years, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committees have published more than one hundred component standards tailored for various climate zones or environmental applications; however, a gap still remains between these standards and the diversity of actual application scenarios.

The head of the Component Research Department at JA Solar Technology stated: Many IEC standards are based on single-factor testing and are primarily suited for standard component types. As photovoltaic applications become increasingly diverse, the IEC has updated numerous new standards. Nevertheless, even with these updates, current standards still fall short of fully supporting component evaluations under a wide range of scenarios and extreme conditions. This is perfectly normal—standards always lag behind industry development.

Miao Cunxing, General Manager of TÜV Nord PV, stated: “To achieve this goal, we must strive to establish a close link between laboratory testing and real-world application scenarios in order to keep pace with the industry’s rapid development. This is highly challenging and requires designing a large number of experiments and collecting sufficient data. This process depends on the joint efforts of certification bodies, supply chains, and end customers to jointly define test methods that are widely recognized by the industry.”

Currently, TÜV Nord has developed internal testing standards for evaluating the operational quality of photovoltaic modules under various climatic conditions, such as offshore environments, extremely cold regions, arid and hot climates, humid and tropical climates, and high-altitude areas. Taking desert environments as an example, TÜV Nord sets up outdoor field test projects in desert regions, extensively collecting meteorological data. Subsequently, it conducts rigorous tests on modules—several times more stringent than the IEC standards—by simulating comprehensive environmental conditions, including sand and dust exposure, wind tunnel testing, high temperatures and high irradiance, and integrated testing scenarios. JA Solar has achieved outstanding results in this series of tests, demonstrating the industry's capability to overcome the extreme challenges posed by desert environments. In the future, TÜV Nord will also closely monitor updates to testing standards, swiftly integrating them into its internal evaluation system, continually narrowing the gap with industry developments, and ensuring that certification standards evolve alongside product advancements.

Innovation can make the impossible triangle achievable.

Currently, the development trend of photovoltaic modules is moving toward “three extremes and one integration”—maximizing optical utilization, optimizing electrical transmission, pursuing eco-friendly design, and diversifying application scenarios. This trend signals an upward trajectory for module performance and reliability. However, if cost is taken into account, it will give rise to an intractable “impossible triangle” that is difficult to balance.

Regarding the cost of ensuring stable operation of photovoltaic modules under extreme conditions, the head of the Module Research Department at JA Solar stated: The PV industry has always been striving to reduce the levelized cost of electricity. If performance and reliability advantages come at the expense of cost reduction, then launching such a product would simply make no sense. When quality is paramount, striking the right balance between various factors is truly an art form. Considering current industry trends, there are two key perspectives worth noting: First, no single product can be suitable for all scenarios; second, modules don't need to be over-engineered. As a result, a new path for product innovation has emerged—producing customized products tailored to specific scenarios, excelling in only one particular application while naturally achieving cost optimization.

Zhu Xiaoliu, Vice President of Jiangsu Worldlight New Materials, stated: "Quality is non-negotiable, and making trade-offs is indeed an art. Over the past few years, as the cost of electrolytic aluminum has risen, some manufacturers have reduced costs by producing thinner and lighter frames. As a result, when Typhoon 'Capricorn' struck, many power stations suffered severe damage, and the substandard aluminum frames were to blame."

We’ve always believed that only by focusing on innovation can we achieve the “impossible triangle.” Our development of composite-material frames not only offers cost advantages but also makes them better suited for extreme climates. Over the past two years, Worldlight has been conducting comprehensive scenario tests—with JA Solar and third-party organizations—in a variety of environments, including deserts, offshore locations, lakes, and extremely cold regions, with remarkable results. Looking ahead, we’re excited about the potential of collaborating across the entire value chain to create even stronger, more resilient solutions, thereby preparing ourselves for an increasingly unpredictable global climate challenge.

The head of the Component Research Department at JA Solar Technology added that innovation has always been the cornerstone of the photovoltaic industry, and it is particularly crucial in today’s context of increasingly frequent extreme weather events. To this end, JA Solar consistently works closely with supply chain partners, third-party institutions, and end customers to co-develop scenario-specific products. For instance, for component products installed in desert regions, we have identified four key factors: sand and dust abrasion, large temperature fluctuations, ultraviolet radiation exposure, and dust accumulation.

Based on this, we have upgraded all component parts—including the glass, frame, and junction box—and also adopted a self-cleaning anti-reflective coating to further reduce dust accumulation. We’ve reduced thermal stress during the component manufacturing process to enhance the components’ temperature resistance, and optimized the component’s temperature coefficient to achieve higher performance ratios. As a result, our products have earned certification from TÜV Nord. JA Solar has always maintained an open and welcoming attitude toward industry and academic partners; innovation will define the future resilience of our industry.

As extreme weather becomes the new normal, the challenges of meeting standards, balancing costs, and driving technological innovation are no longer isolated issues. JA Solar is joining forces with partners across the industry chain to tackle the “impossible triangle” through scenario-specific customization and to forge component resilience via collaborative innovation. This dialogue reveals that only by embracing open collaboration and co-creation can we pave a reliable path for photovoltaics to overcome climate challenges—and ensure that every ray of sunlight translates into stable, dependable returns.

The above content is quoted from JA Solar’s WeChat official account. If there is any infringement, please contact us for removal. To watch the recorded video, please click on the following link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1KLtGuVx3DU