In recent years, as the photovoltaic industry rapidly transitions from P-type to N-type technology, new process routes such as TOPCon, HJT, and XBC have seen significant development. Among these, the platform technology XBC (also known as “Interdigitated Back Contact” or “IBC” cells) stands out due to its unique advantages, including “zero shading” on the front of the module, “zero cost” for silver paste printing, higher photoelectric conversion efficiency, and more aesthetically pleasing modules. These benefits have positioned XBC as the mainstream technology for next-generation photovoltaic cells and modules, with initial adoption in distributed photovoltaics and high-end overseas residential markets.
As a global leader in next-generation photovoltaic technology, LEAD Intelligent remains committed to customer-oriented innovation, focusing on industry technology advancements. LEAD has proactively laid out XBC module technology, introducing an integrated intelligent manufacturing solution for XBC module stringing equipment that encompasses printing, curing, slicing, and string welding. This helps efficiently produce XBC cells, enabling global partners to build stronger market competitiveness and prepare for the new future of the photovoltaic industry.
01
Leveraging its deep technical expertise and R&D experience in advanced photovoltaic technology, LEAD’s XBC stringer has achieved significant breakthroughs in its processes. The LEAD XBC Stringer (LDBC03) uses innovative processes to address the mass production challenges of BC cell modules, achieving a production capacity of 6800 pieces per hour at the client site, with a fragmentation rate of less than 0.2%, a stringing yield of 99%, and an overall equipment efficiency (OEE) exceeding 90%. This helps customers achieve an average cell production efficiency of 27.5% and a module production efficiency of over 24%, placing the overall equipment performance at a globally leading level.
In addition to breaking industry efficiency limits, LEAD’s XBC stringer excels in ensuring product aesthetics and reliability. The LEAD team developed customized process carriers to solve the problem of XBC single-sided cell warping after welding, ensuring the product’s textured surface remains unscathed and enhancing its appearance. This product employs an innovative thermal contact welding method that requires no flux and avoids high-temperature soldering, effectively ensuring high quality and reliability while significantly reducing equipment wear and maintenance costs, saving over 60% in energy consumption.
Currently, LEAD’s XBC stringing equipment has been validated by top industry clients, with the full line solution receiving high recognition, making LEAD the first supplier capable of providing a complete XBC stringing solution. To date, LEAD has secured over 25GW in XBC equipment orders. Additionally, based on its leading technical strength and strong delivery capabilities, LEAD’s stringers, full-process automation, main wet process equipment, printing, testing, and sorting equipment have all achieved large-scale full production at leading client sites, helping customers push the limits of cell and module efficiency and achieve industry leadership.
02
As a leader in domestic photovoltaic intelligent equipment, LEAD Intelligent not only excels in individual equipment breakthroughs but also strives to create comprehensive, multi-scenario photovoltaic intelligent manufacturing solutions, promoting the industry towards green rejuvenation.
LEAD has fully upgraded its N-type equipment production lines, launching comprehensive intelligent manufacturing solutions for photovoltaic cells, including TOPCon, XBC, HJT, and perovskite, as well as intelligent manufacturing solutions for photovoltaic module stringing equipment like SMBB, 0BB, and XBC.
Through continuous exploration in photovoltaic process iteration and product innovation, LEAD has persistently enhanced mass production efficiency of photovoltaic cells and module production capacity. LEAD has achieved a breakthrough in client-side cell conversion efficiency to 26.5% and module equipment single-machine capacity to 12,000 pcs/h, with continuous reductions in overall line operating costs, aiding clients in efficient production, cost reduction, and efficiency enhancement.
At the same time, leveraging its platform strategy layout, LEAD Intelligent has achieved comprehensive deployment across photovoltaics, lithium batteries, hydrogen energy, and energy storage, creating an integrated industry layout from photovoltaics to integrated PV-storage and PV-storage-hydrogen solutions. This establishes a complete ecosystem of new energy intelligent manufacturing, driving global energy transformation with equipment strength.
In recent years, to accelerate the achievement of “carbon peak” and “carbon neutrality” and human sustainable development, solar photovoltaic power generation has been vigorously promoted globally, becoming an important clean power energy source for many countries. Behind this is the fundamental driving force of technological progress in advancing photovoltaic power generation. As global photovoltaic technology continues to evolve, 2024 may see China’s photovoltaic industry on the brink of a transformative leap.
On one hand, the continuous high growth in photovoltaic installation scale and diversified application scenarios are releasing new market opportunities for photovoltaic cells and modules. According to data released by the National Energy Administration, in the first quarter of this year, China’s new solar power installed capacity reached 45.74GW, up 35.89% year-on-year. This includes 21.93GW of new centralized photovoltaic power stations and 23.81GW of new distributed photovoltaics (including 6.92GW of household photovoltaics).
On the other hand, driving the economic demand of the global photovoltaic market, cost reduction and efficiency enhancement remain the core themes of industry development, especially in the context of intensified supply-side competition and insufficient high-end capacity in recent years. The efficiency revolution in the photovoltaic cell and module fields is becoming the key to determining companies’ cost efficiency and market advantages.
As a significant force in driving global photovoltaic technology development, LEAD Intelligent will continue to explore the frontiers of photovoltaic technology, promoting the high-quality development of the global photovoltaic industry with its leading technological layout. LEAD will shine as a bright nameplate of China’s “smart manufacturing” with its excellent quality, collaborating with more industry partners to contribute intelligent manufacturing power to national dual-carbon strategies and global new energy development.
