Large Solar Panel Manufacturer Combined Production Capacity

[Meredith Poor + 884]

Jinko             75 GW
Trina             75 GW
JA Solar        60 GW
Longi             50 GW
First Solar     10 GW
    Total:       270 GW

In the middle of the summer, US max electric power production is about 750Gw. The implication of the above table (projected capacity/shipments for 2023 by the named companies) is that these companies could completely replace all other power generation sources at that peak 'nameplate' capacity in 3 years. Since some parts of the US are already getting 50% of their power from wind and/or solar (or other 'renewable' energy sources), the 'remainder' needed might be closer to 2 years. However, this is 'middle of the day' in the 'middle of the summer' and doesn't account for 24/7 power demand throughout the year. Storing power for the non-daylight hours might require 20 hours x 600 GWh of storage, or 12 TWH of storage over the span of one day.

12 Twh divided by 300 watt-hours per liter (common capacity in LiFePO batteries, and possible in some other chemistries) is 40,000,000,000 liters. This divided by 1000 is 40,000,000 cubic meters. Dividing this by 2 (2 meter high battery banks) yields a ground coverage of 20,000,000 square meters, or 20 square kilometers. This would otherwise be a rectangle 4 Km x 5 Km on a side, or about 2.4 miles x 3 miles. While 'one day's storage' might not be adequate, this illustrates the triviality of the land area in comparison to the area needed for solar panels.

All of the capacity and shipment information came from company sites, generally annual or quarterly reports.

[周永樂 + 3]

The calculations you've provided really put into perspective the scale and feasibility of using solar energy as a major power source. The challenge, as you pointed out, lies in energy storage and ensuring consistent power supply during non-daylight hours. Technological advancements in storage and efficiency of solar panels could play a crucial role in overcoming these obstacles. Speaking of advancements, I recently came across an interesting article on leds.to that discussed some innovative solar panel technologies. It might offer some insights into the future possibilities in this field.

Edited February 2 by 周永樂