China's photovoltaic installed capacity has been among the world's top for four consecutive years, in the process of expanding the scale, the cost has also continued to dip, the past decade, photovoltaic kilowatt-hour cost has dropped from 3 yuan to 0.7 yuan today. Parity online gradually approaching, "micro-profit era", power station refinement management has become the industry consensus, in addition to photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic inverters and other "protagonists", photovoltaic backsheet, photovoltaic junction box and other "supporting role "role can not be ignored.

Photovoltaic junction box belongs to the photovoltaic power plant in the small parts, the current market price of about 20-25 yuan / a, only accounting for about 2.7% of the cost of photovoltaic modules, in the whole power plant system accounted for less than 1%. It is such a small part, but the safety of the PV power plant plays a big role. If the product quality problems, the power station will face the risk of torching.

An industry is a jungle, a small junction box is also a microcosm of the photovoltaic industry. After the "horse race", "price war", "technology iteration" and other baptism, the future of the junction box industry and where will go?

Photovoltaic components of the "bodyguard"

Photovoltaic junction box mainly has two functions: the basic function is to connect the photovoltaic components and load, the photovoltaic components generated by the electrical energy exported by the cable. Additional function is to protect the module, when the hot spot effect occurs to play the role of bypass protection. Therefore, the PV junction box is also known as the bodyguard of the PV module.

However, the survey shows that in all power station failure and accident, by the junction box and connector caused by the accident accounted for more than 30%, junction box diode breakdown is accounted for junction box and connector accident more than 65%, can be described as a high incidence of failure area. This also led to some user complaints about the quality of the junction box.

Focusing on the junction box industry for many years, Zhejiang Fushalang Energy Co., Ltd. executive vice president Wang Yu believes that most users of the junction box misunderstanding. Diode is an important part of the junction box, the diode is generally in the cut-off state, only when the module hot spot, the diode will conduct.

Wang Yu further explained that in the construction of photovoltaic modules, individual cells work in series. Once one of the cells is shaded, the affected cells will no longer work as a power source, but become energy consumers, other unshaded cells will continue to pass current through them causing high energy loss, "hot spot" will appear. When the hot spot effect reaches a certain level, it will reduce the module power output or even cause the module to be scrapped, which will seriously reduce the module's service life and pose a safety risk to the power plant.

To avoid this problem, bypass diodes are connected in parallel to one or several cells connected in series. The bypass current will bypass the blocked cells and pass down through the diode. This ensures that the PV plant continues to generate electricity. The secondary tube is overwhelmed by the breakdown, it is its "sacrifice" to protect the module.

Cost reduction and efficiency products seek intelligent

2017, is China's "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" the second year, but also China's photovoltaic industry towards the key year of grid parity. "Cost reduction and efficiency" has become the main theme of the photovoltaic industry chain.

On the photovoltaic junction box this small component, the key point of cost reduction and efficiency lies in its core components - diode.

The market classification of junction boxes based on different, Foshan Lang diode to distinguish the type of junction box is generally recognized. Wang Yu introduced, the first generation of products for the axial diode, the second generation of products for the chip diode, which is also the most widely used in the current market type. The third generation for the module diode, the fourth generation for intelligent products.

Generally speaking, enterprises reduce costs and increase efficiency in two steps, the first step is to reduce the initial investment. The second and third generation of junction box products for comparison, SMD diode junction box consists of three diodes and four copper pieces, while the modular diode is composed of a single module, reducing the cost of materials and artificial welding costs, with the expansion of production scale, the cost advantage of the third generation of products will be more prominent. Wang Yu predicts that modular diode products will be the main model in 2017-2018.

After the cost gradually bottomed out, deliberate subtraction to reduce costs, for the PV power plant 25 years of operation will cause harm. At this time, more companies began to take the "efficiency" road, through technological innovation means research and development of new products, although increased the initial cost, but through the later to improve the power generation of power plants, and ultimately reduce the cost of electricity.

Fusarang fourth generation of intelligent junction box products, is the "efficiency" of the secret weapon. According to Wang Yu introduced, the intelligent junction box products in the internal increase of intelligent chip, can monitor the operating status of each piece of components, to meet the requirements of component-level monitoring, early detection of problems, reduce power loss, overall increase in power generation. When its increased power generation offset or even exceed the initial cost, the scale benefit will be revealed.

With the continuous development of photovoltaic intelligence, intelligent junction box will be the future junction box development trend. Wang Yu predicted that the fourth generation of products will become the mainstream products from 2018 to 2020, after 2020, based on the smart grid energy Internet junction box products will usher in the development.

Industry or meet reshuffle brand effect appears

Homogeneous low-price competition, seems to have been the development of all walks of life in China must go through. In the photovoltaic industry is also true, whether photovoltaic components, photovoltaic inverter or bracket, product homogenization has become a common phenomenon, photovoltaic junction box this subdivision is no exception.

According to Wang Yu recalls, in 2007-2008, when the German brand junction box price of about 200 yuan, a moment of unlimited scenery. It is also out of the huge market segment, the lure of low technical threshold, domestic small and medium-sized enterprises flocked to seize the market. 2011, there are about 100 enterprises on the market, followed by a surge to more than 200. Accompanied by low-price competition, in 2009, photovoltaic junction box price of about 100-150 yuan, to 2011, the price fell to about 50 yuan, in 2013 the junction box price fell to 30-40 yuan, now the product price fell to about 20 yuan.

When homogeneous low-price competition to a certain extent, reshuffling is inevitable. A few years ago, the photovoltaic industry suffered a cold wave, after the market survival of the fittest, some companies gradually lose competitiveness and exit, some have the technology, capital, channels of the new enterprises crowded into the market and obtain a certain share.

For the power plant owners, junction box in the photovoltaic power plant cost accounted for a relatively low, usually functional to meet the power plant design, quality assurance products are more popular. This for the early engaged in photovoltaic junction box production, has formed the scale and brand effect of the enterprise, is undoubtedly a strong competitive edge.

It is understood that the current market has less than 100 photovoltaic junction box enterprises. The big wave of industry reshuffle, showing the junction box industry is developing in the direction of rationalization. At present, the industry has appeared and, in the ring, Foshan Lang and other leading enterprises, branding trend gradually emerged.

Wang Yu believes that the future of photovoltaic junction box industry will once again usher in the reshuffle, when the number of junction box enterprises will remain at about 50. These enterprises are probably divided into two categories, a class of enterprises have a good channel, another class of enterprises are relying on quality products and services to occupy the market.