aluminium exhibition | How should PV aluminium frame companies transform and upgrade due to high costs?

Under the steady guidance of the "double carbon" target, China's photovoltaic industry has achieved rapid development in recent years. China has become the world's first photovoltaic manufacturing and photovoltaic application power for many years. According to aluminium exhibition data, in 2022, the global solar energy market size of about 230GW, of which China's new PV grid-connected installed capacity reached 87.41GW, the industry's total output value exceeded 1.4 trillion yuan. In January-September 2023, China's new PV installed 128.94GW,121.39% year-on-year growth.

Aluminium alloy frames have always been one of the indispensable auxiliary materials for PV modules due to their multiple advantages, such as low density, easy reinforcement, good electrical conductivity, high plasticity, easy surface treatment, corrosion resistance and easy recycling. Its penetration rate in the field of PV frame even exceeds 95%. Riding on the "express train" of the take-off of the PV industry, aluminium frames have also become the hottest segment of the aluminium processing industry in recent years.

In the cost structure of PV modules, the cost of cells occupies about 55%. PV frame as an important part of PV module. According to the current general aluminium frame size and weight, PV frame accounts for about 13%, higher than EVA, glass, backsheet, welding tape and other auxiliary materials. The PV frame is the auxiliary material with the highest cost ratio.

At the same time, every year, there are a large number of aluminium extrusion enterprises, especially the leading enterprises have layout photovoltaic profile. In recent years, the demand of photovoltaic industry increased, but due to the new production capacity too fast and downstream industry price pressure, and led to the photovoltaic frame processing fee to enhance the exceptionally serious and bring no small hidden problems.

At this stage, in the photovoltaic industry, "cost reduction", "efficiency" under the two major development goals, photovoltaic module manufacturers have been seeking alternative solutions. That is, there are frameless double-glass components such as the cancellation of the frame of the solution, but also considered the use of other materials photovoltaic frame, including steel, rubber, composite materials and so on. Especially in recent years, the price of aluminium is high, aluminium frame price reduction space is limited. The advantages of composite frames in terms of cost, performance, environmental protection, etc. are gradually emerging. Although the position of aluminium frame can not be shaken in a short time. But in the future distributed photovoltaic and marine photovoltaic and other new scenes based on the competitiveness of composite frames should not be underestimated.