Pointing to the rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events and their impact on PV power plants, Jolywood’s Head of Overseas Technical Support, Wenyi Gong, presented the company’s windproof modules. These compete against conventional PV modules that Gong believes are not fit for all scenarios, especially to face extreme weather, owing to their significantly reduced frame load and tear strength that compromise the module's mechanical load capacity.
Jolywood’s Windproof Modules, shared Gong, are designed specifically to withstand high winds in extreme weather events such as snowstorms, hailstorms and hurricanes. These incorporate J-TOPCon high efficiency cells, a Double-beam Structure, a Backbone Steel Frame and a Transparent Mesh Backsheet.
She claimed that the Backbone Steel Frame used in these modules is 3x stronger than conventional aluminum frames. Under the same deformation level, BACKBONE steel frame demonstrates 85% higher front load and 75% higher rear load. This frame has passed the 60 m/s wind tunnel test, equivalent to withstanding a category 17 Typhoon, she added.
Fireside chat
In an insightful discussion on successfully developing and operating utility-scale solar PV plants with TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela, Enerparc COO & Co-Founder Stefan Müller pointed to the growing trend towards high customization in system designs. Instead of the one-size-fits-all, developers and manufacturers nowadays factor in local weather conditions and specific requirements of investors in the plan. This, stressed Müller, shows the adaptability and evolution of the solar industry.
At the same time, the selection of solar modules is not the primary point for a project’s success since this component represents only 25% of the total cost. Now selecting and integrating non-module components such as transformers, batteries, cables and interconnections, which account for up to 75% of the CapEx, are important too.
Müller also highlighted the trend of energy traders dictating system design, instead of engineers or asset owners, because it is eventually about the value of energy produced and sold. This shapes how systems are configured to maximize the commercial performance of an asset.
In the near future, he cites AI, automation and battery integration as playing the pivotal role in the next generation of utility-scale solar power plants.
TaiyangNews ran a live blog during the event, which can be reviewed here. The presentations shared by the speakers at the event are available on TaiyangNews YouTube Channel.
On June 24 and 26, 2025, TaiyangNews will host its annual event, titled PV System Technology Trends—SNEC & Intersolar Product Review. As the title suggests, the virtual conference will take an in-depth look at the latest solar product innovations presented at these 2 events this year. Registrations to the conference are free, here.
