Ready full original article from pv magazine here

Dr. Zhang Yingbin, Trina Solar’s head of product strategy and marketing: The bankability index granted by BNEF can be shown to finance institutes when it comes to securing finance for solar projects. In general, it shows the creditability of the product and the company. There are several key points that need to be checked for the bankability evaluation. First is the financial status of the company. The second is its reliability, including the specifications and product warranties for our PV panels. And then there is the adaptation to other components, ease of installation, and added value for customers.

The 100% classification means every person Bloomberg NEF interviewed gave a 100% positive reply to questions on our PV products, brand, customer service, and financial status. We are proud to say that it’s really a great achievement to win 100% bankability six times.

Are there other indexes that evaluate the reliability of PV modules?

Yes, we are also in the process of having our 210 mm-based large-format modules evaluated by PVEL and the Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC). From the initial results, we have seen very good scores for mechanical load, thermal cycles, PID, cracks, etc.

What I want to emphasize is that these product evaluations contain multiple levels. First, our R&D team conducted internal evaluations during the process of prototype design according to IEC standards. Then we sent our modules to authoritative testing organizations like TÜV Rheinland for a more comprehensive evaluation and to receive certifications from IEC and/or UL. We completed this around Q1 2021. The third step was to go to PVEL and RETC, which are authoritative and recognized by the financial markets, to pass their enhanced tests – three times or even higher than normal IEC standards.

How do your customers respond to the 210mm PV modules?

As our best quality product, with enhanced warranty conditions, many of our customers have been very accepting of our 210mm modules. So far, we have shipped over 16GW of these products. Of course, there are some customers who are still on the sidelines and they need time to appreciate the benefits of these new sizes; but, I believe it won’t take long.

What has exceeded our expectations is the fact that the new 210 mm-based panels are not only popular in the utility-scale PV segment, but they are also being adopted for other types of PV. For example, we have shipped them to Singapore for floating PV projects, to the Netherlands for use in agrivoltaic projects in rural areas, and for many C&I distributed PV on rooftops of factory buildings. This is due to our wide power portfolios, with our 210 mm-based modules ranging from 410W to 670W.

What is Trina’s integrated delivery solution and how does it support your new products?

The integrated delivery solution is a unique innovation by Trina for our customers. From the perspective of the installer, we take every aspect of the entire shipping process into consideration and provide a solution, guidelines, and instructions for them to better utilize each module. For example, most conventional PV manufacturers only care about the sales of their PV modules. We are involved, however, in their packaging, uploading onto containers, shipping via ocean or land, their inventory and transition, their unpacking and transportation to the site, and their final installation on supports or trackers, etc. The entire process is formalized with a white paper and corresponding video so that our customers can follow and proceed with the highest efficiency and accuracy to save costs, reduce damage, and increase profits.