On July 24 in Datong, Shanxi, the 2025 PV Industry Supply Chain Development Seminar kicked off, gathering top industry leaders and policymakers to shape the future of photovoltaics. Vice Secretary-General of the Shanxi Provincial Government Hao Xianmin, CPIA Chairman Cao Renxian, and Datong Deputy Party Secretary and Mayor Liu Junyi delivered opening remarks and a business environment briefing.

At the roundtable, GCL Technology Senior Vice President Hu Zeyi joined executives from Canadian Solar, Sunshine New Energy, Xinyi Solar, and other leading enterprises to discuss capacity optimization, global supply chain development, and other critical industry issues.

Hu Zeyi opened by pinpointing the industry’s current challenge: “The PV sector stands at the crossroads of supply-side structural reform.” He noted that national-level reforms are entering implementation, using technological advancement, energy efficiency, and ESG performance as “filters” to eliminate outdated capacity and retain high-quality players, ultimately reshaping the industry. “True ‘new-quality productive capacity’ is never excessive,” he emphasized, underscoring GCL Technology’s proactive alignment with national reforms.

For Hu, the key to industry breakthrough lies in technological innovation. He highlighted two of GCL’s “black technology” cases:

• FBR Polysilicon: Lower energy consumption and higher purity enable the PV value chain to enter a genuinely low-carbon era.

• Perovskite technology: Continuously pushes conversion efficiency beyond 30%, turning ambitious targets into reality.

“These are not lab experiments; they are tools that enhance industrial competitiveness in practice,” he stressed. Hu also highlighted that compound development—integrating PV, storage, and new materials—is the future of the post-silicon era.

Regarding global supply chain challenges, Hu proposed a three-pronged strategy: “Digitalization must be strong, ecosystems must be robust, ESG must be real.” GCL’s “Three Models, One Data” digital management system integrates workflows, logistics, finance, and information flows to form a digitally-enforced operational backbone. Hu explained, “Going solo will be swallowed by the waves. Strengthen chains, complement chains, and consolidate chains—this is why we advocate for ‘cooperative globalization’.”

In ESG, GCL’s Carbon Chain Management Platform sets an industry benchmark. Leveraging FBR polysilicon, module carbon footprints are reduced below 400 kgCO₂e/kW, with some products under 300 kgCO₂e/kW, far surpassing international standards. “ESG is not a poster on the wall—it is the golden key to international markets,” Hu remarked. Suppliers are now evaluated on carbon footprint compliance, driving full-chain green upgrades.

Hu’s presentation painted a clear roadmap: PV companies must drive growth through technological innovation, supported by digitalization and ESG, to break out of industry “involution” and achieve sustainable development. GCL Technology, with its FBR polysilicon and perovskite “black technologies”, is deepening its presence in new materials and energy storage, offering a “China Solution” for global energy transition.

The seminar, hosted by the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, also featured sessions on mid-year PV industry reviews, second-half forecasts, and PV power & electricity market development, continuously injecting strategic insights into the sector.