HiQLCD Photovoltaic Data Pack

Differences between photovoltaic products arise not only from cell technology but also from glass, encapsulant, paste, frames and module design. The pack brings principal products and supporting materials into one sector scope, allowing users to work from a module bill of materials, identify the required datasets item by item and combine them with actual production inputs for a carbon-footprint or life-cycle assessment.

Dataset scale

The three system models contain 3,467 datasets in total: 1,749 Cut-off, 860 EN 15804 and 858 Consequential datasets. The Cut-off inventory contains 46 products after deduplicating the original reference-product names. All three models cover 31 provincial-level administrative regions in mainland China. These figures cover only the Photovoltaic Data Pack and exclude the separate Battery Data Pack. Material and technology coverage is not identical across the three models.

Main products and materials

Silicon feedstock and wafers

Coverage includes solar-grade high-purity polysilicon, monocrystalline wafers and multicrystalline wafers, together with selected quartz, industrial silicon and wafer-slicing materials. High-purity polysilicon includes the modified Siemens process and the silane fluidised-bed process. Selected monocrystalline-wafer datasets distinguish P-type and N-type products and 182 mm and 210 mm formats, supporting specification-based matching of upstream materials.

Photovoltaic cells

Coverage includes PERC, TOPCon, HJT and multicrystalline-silicon cells. In the Cut-off inventory, P-type PERC cells are available in 182 mm and 210 mm formats, N-type TOPCon cells in both formats, and N-type HJT cells in a 210 mm format. This detail can be used directly when the product's technology background is known.

Crystalline-silicon and thin-film modules

Crystalline-silicon modules include selected single-glass, double-glass, P-type and N-type structures, with configurations such as 144-cell and 132-cell modules. Thin-film modules include copper indium gallium selenide, cadmium telluride and amorphous germanium-silicon triple-junction products. Modules should not be grouped solely by rated power; their technology and reference product should be checked first.

Glass and encapsulation materials

Coverage includes low-iron patterned glass, coated or screen-printed tempered glass, low-iron float glass, EVA, POE and PVB films, and selected fluorine-free backsheets. Some glass datasets retain 2 mm and 3.2 mm thickness information, allowing them to be matched to the material configuration of single-glass or double-glass designs.

Conductive materials and installation components

Coverage includes front- and rear-side silver paste, rear-side aluminium paste, lead-free ribbon, junction boxes, aluminium-alloy frames and selected thin-film target materials. Supporting content also includes galvanised carbon-steel or aluminium-alloy mounting structures and string inverters, making it possible to search for related equipment beyond the module itself.

HiQLCD Photovoltaic Data Pack: dataset composition

Under the Cut-off model, the pack contains 1,749 records.

Photovoltaic modules are the largest category, with 421 records or 24.07%, covering crystalline-silicon single-glass and double-glass modules and selected thin-film modules. Cells account for 196 records across PERC, TOPCon, HJT and multicrystalline technologies. Wafers account for 163 records, including P-type and N-type monocrystalline wafers and multicrystalline wafers.

Supporting module materials are also a substantial part of the pack. Pastes and other module auxiliaries account for 310 records, covering silver paste, aluminium paste, target materials, frames and ribbon. Photovoltaic glass accounts for 248 records, including raw, tempered, coated, screen-printed and electrode glass. Encapsulants and backsheets account for 124 records, including EVA, POE and PVB films and fluorine-free backsheets.

Upstream silicon feedstock and slicing materials account for 190 records, covering high-purity polysilicon, industrial silicon, quartz and diamond wire. Mounting systems and inverters account for another 97 records, including selected carbon-steel or aluminium-alloy supports and string inverters for system-level inputs beyond the module.

Basis of calculation: this composition applies only to the Cut-off model. Record counts include different geographies and activity types.

HiQLCD Photovoltaic Data Pack: technology and applications

Using technology detail in a model

Consider technology route and specification together

When selecting a cell dataset, users can check the PERC, TOPCon or HJT route, P-type or N-type configuration, and size. When selecting a module, they can then check single-glass or double-glass construction, cell count and related product specifications. These attributes describe different product configurations and support supply-chain modelling when the technology is known.

The technologies and sizes in the inventory are not available in every possible combination. The presence of an HJT dataset, for example, does not mean that every size, structure and geography is represented. Checking the exact combination first reduces substitution between similarly named but mismatched products.

Match each item in the module bill of materials

When a module model is built from a company's bill of materials, suitable background data can be identified separately for wafers or cells, glass, encapsulant, backsheet, frame, ribbon and junction box. Material quantities for single-glass and double-glass designs are determined by the actual product; the database provides corresponding material and product records for matching.

If a module-product dataset is used directly, users should first check whether it already includes these materials and manufacturing processes, avoiding a second addition of the same inputs. The modelling approach depends on the activity data available and the question the project must answer.

Geography and system-model selection

The Cut-off inventory contains national records and labels for 31 provincial-level regions, providing geographic options for different Chinese production or supply contexts. Production-mix and consumption-mix activities should be distinguished using the delivery documentation. A provincial label alone does not mean that the record is based on measurements from a plant in that province.

Dataset counts differ substantially across the three system models. When EN 15804 or Consequential is used, the required materials should be checked again within the corresponding Photovoltaic Data Pack or the Core Data Pack under the same model. The full coverage of the Cut-off inventory cannot be assumed for the other models.

Typical applications

Product carbon footprints for module manufacturers

Organise cell technology, module structure and material quantities around a specific module model. Match silicon materials, glass, encapsulation and other auxiliaries, then combine them with production energy, yield loss and logistics. Detailed datasets help the model represent the actual product configuration instead of relying on one generic module value.

Scenario comparison of technologies and material configurations

Scenarios can be built for different cell technologies, glass thicknesses, encapsulants or frame materials to examine how configuration changes affect the complete model. Output function and performance conditions should remain consistent. Differences between material datasets cannot substitute for the result of a complete module or power-generation system.

Photovoltaic system and project assessment

Beyond the module, suitable mounting-system and inverter data can be matched and combined with photovoltaic-generation records from the Energy Data Pack. A system assessment also requires the actual installed configuration, generation, lifetime, maintenance and other project parameters. Module-manufacturing and electricity-service assessments should define their functional units separately.

Selecting a combination of data packs

The Photovoltaic Data Pack provides detail for principal sector products and specialised auxiliaries. The Core Data Pack can add general materials, transport and production inputs, while the Energy Data Pack provides options for relevant energy-use or generation scenarios. When packs are combined, reference units should be checked within the same system model. Products measured by item, mass or power cannot be substituted by directly transferring quantities.