IES-UPM and Trina Solar Forge Ahead in Renewable Energy Research and Collaboration

IES-UPM, established in 1979, has been actively researching the practical application of solar PV. The university’s research will focus on developing cheaper ways to purify silicon, creating new solar PV materials and original structures for highly efficient tandem cells, formulating more efficient strategies for demand management, and evaluating the use of batteries to facilitate the integration of technology into the electricity grid.

Helena Li, the executive president of Trina Solar, has expressed that their partnership with European academic talent will allow their R&D team to work closely with them, maintain their core competence, and provide specialized energy solutions to the European market. In addition to their R&D work, Trina Solar will establish a training center at IES-UPM. The center will be equipped with solar modules, trackers, and possibly battery energy storage systems (BESS) to support solar energy development in the region.

Trina Solar is one of China’s top solar manufacturers and was ranked second in Wood Mackenzie’s recent module manufacturer rankings, just behind JA Solar. The company experienced significant growth last year by shipping over 65GW of modules compared to 43.1GW in 2022, marking a 51.3% year-on-year growth. By the end of the first quarter of 2024, Trina Solar had shipped over 205GW of modules.