Report on the 8th SNEC PV POWER EXPO

On May 20-22, the 8th (2014) International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition, an annual grand event in photovoltaic (PV) industry, was successfully held in Shanghai New International Expo Center.

Tens of thousands of PV products and services were showcased this year. JA Solar presented its highlight products: Percium (high efficiency mono crystalline module products), Riecium (high efficiency Poly crystalline module products), Wracium and Tigo (smart module). YINGLI brought the mascort “Fuleco” of Brazilian world cup, attracting attention of visitors. GCL showed its new generation of S series cells and its latest earning report, which says GCL wafer production in the first quarter this year accounts for thirty percent of the global market. The above three giants in PV sector, together with 1,526 exhibitors from 90 countries in the fields of solar cells, materials and components, equipment manufacturing, structural engineering, publishing and research and consulting, brought tens of thousands of advanced exhibits, brightening the 150,000 meters square expo center. Crowds of people inside and outside the industry heard about this expo and came to visit and communicate, looking around in all 13 halls.

In the beautiful month of May, SNEC fully reflected the charm of the emerging PV industry, and truly showed the trend of current global photovoltaic industry.

The expo demonstrates four characteristics of national and global PV industry:

• The major trend of the fast development of new energy goes on and even becomes stronger. People’s expectation for photovoltaic new energy which will replace traditional fossil energy becomes greater.
• Through trial under unpredictable climate, breakthroughs have been made in the fields of theoretical study, materials development, process innovation, engineering application, etc.
• Trade protectionism represented by the U.S. and EU has become the norm, so has the trend of international communication and bilateral and multilateral cooperation. And the achievements of international cooperation continuously come out.
• The national support policies for PV new energy have been confirmed basically. With the trend of fully enhancing the PV application and by overcoming many difficulties, new advancements have been made for PV power plants and distributed power generation stations.

This tradeshow is an ideal platform for PV companies and institutions at home and abroad to show their wisdom and products; it is also a good communication platform for scientists and elites in the global industry to spark inspiration and make creation; and it is a great booster for people inside and outside the industry to figure out current situation, remain confident, pay more attention to this strategic emerging industry, and encourage more people to grasp opportunity to devote themselves to the industry.

Overview

• Approved by Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China [Ref. No.: (2013)0358], SNEC 8th (2014) International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition [SNEC PV POWER EXPO] was initiated by Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA), Chinese Renewable Energy Society (CRES), Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), Shanghai Science & Technology Development and Exchange Center (SSTDEC), Shanghai Federation of Economic Organizations (SFEO), Shanghai New Energy Industry Association (SNEIA), and was jointly organized by Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA), Asia Pacific Photovoltaic Industry Council (APPIC), New Energy Industry Association for Asia and the Pacific (NEIAAP), China Photovoltaic Society (CPVS), Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association (TPVIA), Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association (KOPIA), etc.
• SNEC has seen totally 1,526 exhibitors, 150,000 sq. meter exhibition space and over 199,037 visits this year. Photovoltaic companies from 90 countries and regions such as Germany, UK, France, USA, Canada, Japan, Austria, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Singapore, Taiwan, etc. gathered in Shanghai for this grand occasion. 30% of the exhibitors were from overseas, and the number of the total visits this year once again almost reaches 200,000 as that in the year of 2012. The exhibiting products covered the whole PV industry chain, including PV production equipments, materials, cells, applications & modules, PV projects and systems.

Key Figures

• Data on Exhibitors
  ——Number of the exhibitors: 1,526
  ——Number of countries originated: 90
  ——Foreign exhibitors and representatives: 30%
  ——Total exhibition space (sqm): 150,000

  Exhibitor Profile A Equipments manufacturers 20.7% B Solar cells/modules manufacturers 22.8% C Components manufacturers 27.1% D PV raw materials producers 11.9% E Solar application products manufacturers 5.0% F PV systems integrators 8.6% G Others 11.6%

• Data on Visits
  ——May 20: 81,293
  ——May 21: 77,980
  ——May 22: 39,764
  ——Total: 199,037

  1. Visitors’ Business Title A Executive(President, GM, etc.） 19.8% B Senior management (Manager, etc.) 28.1% C Other management (Director, etc.) 31.7% D Non-management(Staff / professional) 20.4%

  
  
  

  2. Visitors’ Department and Responsibility A Purchasing 28.9% B Executive management 10.8% C Technology support 15.1% D Finance and industry analysis 1.9% E Government/public policy 5.5% F Marketing 8.0% G Environment safety and health 1.5% H Investment 3.2% I Quality guarantee and project test 2.8% J Project development 6.1% K Training 1.5% L Business agency and cooperation 4.7% M Colleges, organizations, experts and scholars 6.3% N Others 3.7%

  
  
  

  3. Purchasing Ability A Final decision 28.1% B Recommendation 41.4% C Planning/evaluation 25.5% D None 5.0%

  
  
  

  4. Percentage of Interest Products A Manufacturing equipment of silicon rods and ingots 10.5% B Manufacturing equipment of silicon wafers. 8.0% C Manufacturing equipment of cells. 15.7% D Manufacturing equipment of panels/modules 10.3% E Manufacturing equipment of thin-film panels 5.3% F PV materials 30.1% G PV cells 28.2% H PV modules 38.4% I System integrators 9.5% J Module installers 11.2% K Solar application products 6.5%

• Previous Data

Highlights and Achievements

• International PV Associations Meeting Held Successfully, Discussing on Collaborations among Associations and Mutual Development

  Jointly convened by Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA), European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the International PV Associations Meeting was successfully held on the morning of May 19 in Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai. The meeting was attended by industry associations from China, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, etc.

  During the meeting, the associations shared their market updates respectively and held sound discussions on topics of the feasibility of establishing a Global Solar Energy Association as well as the international PV trade disputes & the need for greater collaboration between national trade associations to help prevent/resolve those disputes.

• Solar Leaders Dialogue, Focusing on Sustainable Growth of the Solar Industry Worldwide

  On the afternoon of May 19, over 30 association senior executives, entrepreneurs and top scientists representing Asian, European and American photovoltaic industries gathered and held a dialogue on sustainable development of PV industry, focusing on the three themes of “how to survive and develop in an environment where trade protective actions have become the norm”, “PV industry’s path to integration and transformation” and “new opportunities brought by new technologies and new models”.

  With continuous technological progress and growing demand for clean and sustainable energy, solar power generation has been enjoying wider popularity. On such occasion when trade protective actions have become the norm, how can Chinese PV industry get rid of the disordered competition? This has been one of the hottest topics at SNEC2014. Thus, the Press Conference on China's PV Industry in Answering to U.S. Anti-Dumping Tariff held by China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Machinery & Electronic Products (CCCME) entrusted by China's Ministry of Commerce was included as a part of SNEC conferences. It facilitated senior leaders to closely listen to the wishes from the grassroots practitioners of PV industry. And a Closed-Door Meeting about Creating a Harmonious Environment for China-US PV Trade was also held during SNEC 2014, attended by senior executives from organizations/institutions including European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA), China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), Shanghai New Energy Industry Association (SNEIA), Australia Solar Council, International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA), Maryland Center, and leading companies such as GCL, Trina, Zhenfa, etc. With the aim of achieving a mutually beneficial and win-win situation for both China and the US, the meeting discussed the problems in China-US PV trade, in order to explore potential solutions to the problems and create a harmonious PV trade environment for both sides.

• Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA) 2nd General Meeting of the 2nd Council Successfully Convened

  Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA) 2nd General Meeting of the 2nd Council successfully convened in the Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai on the morning of May 20. Attendees include ZHU Gongshan, Chief Chairman of APVIA, SHI Dinghuan, President of CRES, LI baoshan, Secretary General of CRES, Edwin Khew, Secretary General of APVIA, ZHAO Yuwen, Honorary Director of CPVS, Gordon Chen, Chairman of the Steering Committee of APVIA, Prof. Martin Green, Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics at UNSW, Prof. Joachim Luther, Visiting Professor of SERIS, Prof. Armin Aberle, CEO of SERIS, and Bryan D. Ekus, Managing Director of IPVEA, etc.

  At this meeting, representatives of Asian countries/regions reported on standards development in their respective countries/regions, including China, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and Singapore. The most exciting was the Collection of Asian PV Industry Standards -- Standards of China (First Draft) being issued within PV community at the concurrent SNEC 8th (2014) International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition. This Collection is made up of five parts with 13 standards and over 100,000 words in total. APVIA sincerely hope that this Collection will lay a solid foundation for the publication of Asian PV Industry Standards in the future, and that the collecting and compiling of PV industry standards can attract more attention from technical professionals and experts from associations, academia and enterprises related to PV industry and encourage their active participation so as to achieve the final aim of offering a valuable technical and reference document for the whole industry.

  Attendees of the meeting also discussed on “How to integrate the training sessions of PV industry standards into the training courses run by Asia Pacific Solar Institute (APSI)”. After the discussion, Mr. Edwin Khew, Secretary-General of APVIA, announced that the 3rd General Meeting of APVIA 2nd Council will take place in this October during Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW), and he cordially invited all those present to attend the 3rd General Meeting. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Gongshan Zhu, Chief Chairman of APVIA, made concluding remarks of the 2nd General Meeting of APVIA 2nd Council. He extended heartfelt thanks to all the attendees of the meeting, and showed his confidence in the bright future that, with concerted efforts of enterprises, associations and research institutes, Asian PV industry will embrace.

• SNEC 2014 Scientific Conference -- Latest Technologies and Research Findings Discussed in 8 Sessions

  The SNEC Scientific Conference provides an excellent platform for the world’s PV experts and scientists to showcase and share the latest developments in solar energy technologies. The Conference is chaired by Prof Armin ABERLE, the CEO of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), while Prof Joachim LUTHER from SERIS and Prof Martin GREEN from the University of New South Wales acting as the honorary chairmen. The world's top PV scientists along with CTOs from leading PV companies have been invited to join the International Scientific Committee.

  SNEC 2014 Scientific Conference was held on May 21 and 22, consisting of 8 sessions, where over 50 top experts shared the cutting-edge technologies and research findings with attendees of the sessions. The topics of the conference covered the following: Silicon Feedstock and Wafers, Silicon Wafer Solar Cells, Silicon Wafer based PV Modules, Thin Films (materials, cells, modules) and Novel PV Concepts, Quality Assurance and Characterisation, PV Systems & Smart Grid Technologies. About 20 experts and CTOs joined the CTO Dialogue and held sound discussions on “PV manufacturing expansion: Will it happen and when and where?” and “Impact of PV Innovation and Industry Consolidation on the $/W Module Costs”.

• Global PV Financial Summit -- Dialogue between Financial Institutions and CFOs

  As we enter the new era of Solar 2.0, the Asian region is poised to become the largest annual photovoltaic installations market in the world today, in addition to the manufacturing powerhouse it has already proven itself to be. The Global PV Financial Summit in Shanghai is a must-attend event for players interested not only in the domestic Chinese market, but in the surrounding Asian and other emerging markets as well.

  This year, senior representatives from the financial institutions such as the Export-Import Bank of China, China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (SINOSURE), Minsheng Bank, Sapphire Capital, Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Hong Kong Silver Rich Holdings Ltd., leading compaies such as GD Solar, CGN Solar, CECEP Solar, CNBM New Energy, GCL New Energy, Sharp Corporation, JA Solar, DuPont, Zhenfa New Energy, ZNSHINE, and testing/certification institutes such as China Quality Certification Center (CQC), National Center of Supervision & Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Products Quality (CPVT), VDE Testing & Certification Institute all joined the summit. The event explored the future of project financing and risk mitigation for the PV sector, and tacked strategies for achieving differentiation and bankability in order to help companies achieve sustainable long-term success in this exciting new age for PV. It is the premier platform for networking with the international and regional financial and insurance industries, as well as other key stakeholders from the solar industry.

• The Exchange Service Platform “from Offline SNEC PV POWER EXPO to Online Everlasting Expo”

  By successively holding large exhibitions and conferences, SNEC PV POWER EXPO has the widest customers in photovoltaic industry and showcases the most advanced technologies, good-quality projects and high-end products and market demand data, and connects with best talents.

  To fully promote them, SNEC PV POWER EXPO joins hands in strength with CASTEL and Fudan University to launch an exchange platform. Ms. Mi Yue, CEO of SNEC Organizing Committee, signed an agreement with Mr. Ma Zhenfu, CEO of CASTEL, and with Dr. Cui Jun, president of Fudan University on this Exchange Service Platform “from Offline SNEC PV POWER EXPO to Online Everlasting Expo”. SNEC Organizing Committee provides customer base of over 2,000 throughout the world, CASTEL offers R&D and technology support, and Fudan University offers R&D service and help with the long-term operation of this platform. Mr. Jiang Yiren, Chairman of Shanghai Federation of Economic Organizations (SFEO), and Mr. Shi Dinghuan, Counsellor of the State Council attended the signing ceremony and witnessed the significant moment.

  After the signing ceremony was finished, four sessions of exchange were launched: Technology Matchmaking, Projects Matchmaking, Products Matchmaking, and Talents Matchmaking. Dozens of companies published their technologies, projects, and product information on site. All seats were occupied; audience listened attentively and the exchange sessions were well received.

• The Joint Media Interview held in Media Centers

  Media Centers were set in the exhibition halls W4 and E5 of Shanghai New International Expo Center separately during SNEC PV Power EXPO 2014. The media centers have proved themselves as excellent platforms for enterprise promotion and communication bridges between the enterprises and the media. To improve the quality of interview, SNEC Organizing Committee organized a media team consisting of hundreds of media from home and abroad as well as a Joint Media Committee with more than 10 industry mainstream media, invited persons in charge of the exhibiting enterprises as guests and employed professional videographers to record throughout the interview. This event is the first domestic attempt on the combination of exhibition and media promotion, and undoubtedly can greatly improve the added-value of SNEC.

  In the interviews, we can find both traditional media, such as magazines and so on, and new media represented by the Internet media. Both professional media in PV industry like Darmei International Information, SolerBe.com and Ne21.com and mass media such as the Xinhua News Agency, Wenhui Newspaper and Shanghai Science and Technology were present; and well-known domestic as well as overseas media, including pv magazine, PV Tech, Photon and Solar PV.TV, actively participated in the event. Besides, the invited media also sent their veterans and even the editors-in-chief and CEOs to conduct interviews.

• SNEC2014 “Top 10 Highlights”

  Over a decade of development, novel products and technology came out one after another in solar photovoltaic industry. To select the excellent ones and to gather exhibitors to show their unique products and technologies, SNEC launched an important side event -- Top 10 Highlights Selection. After years of practice, the selection has been widely recognized and well received and has become a major stage for showing new products and technology in the sector.

  The final result of SNEC2014 “Top 10 Highlights” was announced at 10 a.m. at the Exchange Service Platform located in Hall E6 of Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) on May 16. More than 40 companies’ highlights, including new generation of GCL S series, DuPont’s back sheet with longer lifetime of development and design, Huawei innovating Smart String Inverter, JA Solar’s Percium high efficiency mono crystalline module products and Riecium high efficiency poly crystalline module products, etc., won Terawatt Diamond Award, Gigawatt Golden Award and Megawatt Honor Award respectively.