PV innovation in recent years: China has become the main force, Europe has expertise
Recently, the European Patent Office released some innovation data in the PV field, which is quite interesting. Simply put, PV technology has progressed very fast in the past few decades. China has become the main force of global PV innovation, while Europe still maintains its advantages in some small sub-sectors.
Let's talk about the overall innovation momentum first. In the past 30 years, innovation in the PV field has increased by more than 17 times. This is easy to understand. Now everyone wants to use less fossil energy. As a clean energy, more and more people are naturally investing in research. Just like the solar panels we usually see, ten years ago, one panel generated electricity, and now two panels may generate three times the electricity. This is the progress of innovation.
Let's look at where specific innovations are concentrated. From 2020 to 2023, nearly half (48%) of inventions are related to equipment technology. For example, core equipment such as solar panels and inverters, how to make them generate more electricity and be more durable. For example, the N-type battery that Longi Green Energy has been researching in recent years is a representative of equipment technology. Now the power generation efficiency of this type of battery can be much higher than that of the old-fashioned battery.
Of the remaining innovations, 25% are in the application aspect. That is, studying where PV can be used in new places. For example, installing solar panels on roofs is not new. Now some people are studying installing solar panels on fish ponds, which can generate electricity without affecting fish farming. This is application innovation. 17% are PV materials, such as researching lighter and more sun-resistant materials for solar panels; 10% are equipment management, such as using APP to remotely monitor whether solar panels are broken, which are all part of innovation.
The focus should be on China's performance. In the past 15 years, China has surpassed other countries in PV patent applications. What's more impressive is that since 2010, China's patent applications have increased by nearly six times. By 2022, 80% of the world's new PV inventions will be from China. Behind this is actually the rapid development of the domestic PV industry, from enterprises to scientific research institutions. For example, JinkoSolar has made continuous breakthroughs in high-efficiency battery technology in recent years and has applied for many patents. Their solar panels are now not only used domestically, but also sold all over the world.
However, Europe also has its own strengths. European start-ups and universities still maintain their lead in agricultural PV and some niche solar energy applications. Agricultural PV is to combine solar panels with farming, such as planting vegetables under solar panels, which can generate electricity without delaying farming and can also be applied to irrigation systems.
There is a company called Next2Sun in Europe that has carried out many such projects in Germany. The height and angle of the solar panels they designed can just allow the crops below to get the right amount of sunlight. There are also some niche applications, such as solar power supply systems for small clinics in remote mountainous areas. Europe has done a lot of detailed work in these niche areas.
In general, China is now the leader in PV innovation and is leading in mainstream technology; Europe maintains its advantages in some small and distinctive fields. This pattern is actually very good. Everyone has their own focus, and in the end, they can all promote the maturity of PV technology, and our use of solar energy can become more and more convenient and cheaper.