Electricity market reforms are profoundly reshaping the profitability of photovoltaic power plants. The era of simply pursuing "total power generation" is over. Efficient power generation during peak electricity price periods (especially during the morning and evening hours) has become a key determinant of project profitability. This article will uncover the core contradiction behind this transformation—the natural mismatch between photovoltaic output characteristics and peak and valley electricity prices. By leveraging new module selection strategies, we can precisely align cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology with the electricity price curve, maximizing your project's profitability.
01
Photovoltaic Output Characteristics
High at noon, low in the morning and evening
Photovoltaic power generation is highly dependent on sunlight. Under typical clear skies, its output exhibits a distinct single-peak curve:
Midday/Early Morning/Evening: Low irradiance and high angles of incidence.
Time: Highest irradiance, with near-vertical sunlight.
This curve shape is primarily due to two key efficiency losses inherent in photovoltaic modules:
Low irradiance loss: Weak sunlight in the morning and evening prevents modules from reaching their rated power point, significantly reducing power generation efficiency.
Incident Angle Response (IAM) Losses: When sunlight is oblique (increasing the angle of incidence, such as in the early morning and evening), a significant amount of light is reflected by the glass surface rather than absorbed by the solar cells for power generation, resulting in a reduction in the actual effective power generation intensity. Simply put: the more "straight" the sunlight, the higher the efficiency; the more "oblique" the sunlight, the greater the losses.
02
Market-Based Electricity Prices
Peak-Valley and Output Misalignment
In the past, the era of fixed electricity prices, the "strong at noon and weak in the morning and evening" nature of photovoltaic power generation had a relatively limited impact on overall profitability. However, with the deepening of electricity market reforms, real-time fluctuations in electricity prices driven by power supply and demand have become the new normal, highlighting a core contradiction:
Noon (peak PV output): Plenty of sunlight, high PV generation → Abundant power supply → Electricity prices fall.
Morning and evening (low PV output): Diminished sunlight, PV power generation plummets. Simultaneously, social electricity demand peaks (residential electricity consumption, industrial morning and evening shifts) → Power supply tightens → Electricity prices surge.
Conclusion: PV output is strongest during times when electricity prices are lowest; conversely, during times when electricity prices are highest, PV output is weakest.
03
A Shift in Revenue Logic
Power Generation Capacity During High-Price Hours is Key
This misalignment directly overturns the revenue evaluation system for PV projects:
This means that the focus of PV project revenue has shifted from "total power generation" to "power generation capacity during high-price hours." Therefore, improving system output during peak electricity price hours (especially mornings and evenings) has become a key strategy for reducing LCOE and increasing revenue. For projects with the same total power generation capacity, the higher the proportion of power generation during high-price hours, the greater the revenue.
04
Key to Breaking the Gap
Module Selection Focuses on "Weak Light and Oblique Light" Performance
To significantly improve system power generation under conditions of high electricity prices, low irradiance, and wide angles of incidence in the morning and evening, the performance of the modules themselves becomes crucial. Two key performance indicators require special attention:
Low-irradiance performance: Selecting modules with minimal efficiency degradation in low-light conditions (early morning and evening) is essential for capturing profits during periods of high electricity prices. Modules with low leakage current and high parallel resistance (Rsh) are preferred.
Low IAM loss: Selecting modules with better response to oblique light (i.e., low IAM loss) can significantly reduce efficiency losses caused by the increased angle of sunlight incident in the morning and evening, effectively utilizing precious sunlight resources during periods of high electricity prices.
05
Preferred Solution
Cadmium Telluride Thin-Film Modules – A Powerful Tool for Matching Peak and Valley Electricity Prices
Combining the two key indicators of "low-irradiance performance" and "low IAM loss," cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic modules demonstrate significant and consistent competitive advantages:
Outstanding low-light power generation capability: In the early morning and evening, when irradiance intensity is low (i.e., during peak electricity price periods), their power generation performance significantly outperforms traditional crystalline silicon modules, providing a solid foundation for capturing high electricity prices.
High Oblique Light Capture Efficiency: Thanks to its superior incident angle response (lower IAM losses), CdTe modules can more effectively reduce reflections and absorb more oblique light during the morning and evening hours when the sun's angle is lower, generating more power under the same lighting conditions.
Precisely Matching the Market Curve: The unique "higher output in the morning and evening" nature of CdTe modules perfectly aligns with the fluctuating electricity market curve, where electricity prices are higher in the morning and evening, and lower in the afternoon.
Value Proposition and Smart Choice: With continuous breakthroughs in conversion efficiency, long-term reliability, and cost competitiveness, CdTe thin-film technology has become a key technology path for photovoltaic projects to adapt to dynamic electricity pricing markets and optimize their revenue structure. Choosing CdTe thin-film photovoltaic modules from Zoom Solar Green Energy Technology, which offer superior "golden morning and evening" power generation performance, is a strategic choice to enhance your project's profitability and secure future market share.
Understand the pulse of the electricity market and transform every ray of precious sunlight during high-price periods into higher project profits!