Manufacture of high-efficiency n-type TOPCon solar cells and ASTRO-series PV modules for solar power plants and rooftop installations
Astronergy (Chint New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.)
Haining · Yancheng · Jiuquan · Songyuan · Fengyang · Yiwu · Yanchi · Yueqing · Fuyang · Yibin · Chachoengsao (Thailand) · Istanbul (Turkey) · BerlinNew on Amplifa
About Astronergy
Astronergy is a company of the CHINT Group headquartered in Haining (Zhejiang, China), specializing in the research, development, production and distribution of crystalline silicon PV cells and modules. Founded in 2006, the company is one of China's first private photovoltaic companies and sells its products in more than 140 countries and regions. The ASTRO-series modules are based on n-type TOPCon cell technology with large-format silicon wafers (210 mm or 182 mm) and are produced as bifacial and monofacial versions in glass-glass and glass-backsheet designs. Applications range from utility-scale power plants to commercial and industrial PV and residential rooftop installations. Manufacturing takes place at more than ten production sites in China as well as in Thailand and Turkey, complemented by sales companies in, among other places, Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Warsaw, Wollerau and London. The production lines are highly automated with AI-based quality inspection and automatic EL defect detection; administration and some sites are certified to ISO 27001.
- Site
- Berlin
- Processes
- Manufacture of PV cells (n-type TOPCon, crystalline silicon), Manufacture of PV modules (ASTRO series, bifacial/monofacial, glass-glass and glass-backsheet), Wafer cutting, Automated module manufacturing with AI quality inspection (automatic EL defect detection), Research and development of PV cells and modules, Production of n-type TOPCon PV modules (ASTRO series), Module authenticity verification, Download center with specifications, installation manuals, certificates and warranty documents
- Materials
- Crystalline silicon (c-Si, n-type), Silicon wafers, Glass (double-coated cover glass, glass-glass construction), Backsheet film (fluorine-free), Solder ribbons (lead-free), Silicone gel (dealcoholized), Aluminium (module frame, recycling), Crystalline silicon (n-type)
- Certificates
- Zero Carbon Factory, SSI ESG Standard Silver (Haining and Yancheng sites), EcoVadis Platinum (group level), Carbon Footprint PPE2 (ASTRO N series, 380 kgCO2/kWc), ISO 27001, SBTi validated climate targets, Zero Carbon Factory (TÜV Rheinland), SSI ESG Standard Silver
- Founded
- 2006
- Industries
- Photovoltaics, Solar energy, Renewable energies, Power plant PV, Commercial and industrial PV, Residential PV
- 01
R&D PV cells and modules
- 02
Wafer cutting
- 03
Cell manufacturing (n-type TOPCon)
- 04
Module assembly (glass-glass / glass-backsheet)
- 05
AI quality inspection (EL defect detection)
- 06
Sales and logistics
- 07
Recycling (WEEE / PV CYCLE)
Materials and Technologies
Crystalline silicon (n-type)
n-type TOPCon cell technology as the basis of the ASTRO module series, with high efficiency and low degradation.
Silicon wafers (large-format)
Large-format wafers (210 mm or 182 mm) increase the power per module.
Double-coated cover glass
Double-coated glass in a glass-glass construction increases the performance and reliability of bifacial modules.
Fluorine-free backsheet film
Fluorine-free backsheets reduce environmental impact over the product life cycle.
Lead-free solder ribbons
Lead-free solder ribbons avoid harmful flux and metal emissions.
Aluminium (module frame)
Aluminium frames with recycling systems (WEEE/PV CYCLE).
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of PV cells (n-type TOPCon, crystalline silicon)Other (photovoltaic manufacturing) | – | – | – | – | Crystalline silicon (n-type), Silicon wafer 210 mm |
| Manufacture of PV modules (ASTRO series, bifacial/monofacial, glass-glass and glass-backsheet)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Crystalline silicon, Glass, Backsheet film, Solder ribbons (lead-free), Silicone gel |
| Wafer cuttingMachining | – | – | – | – | Silicon |
| Automated module manufacturing with AI quality inspection (automatic EL defect detection)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wafer cutting machines | – | – | – | 2024 | Thailand production facility |
| Automatic production lines (smart manufacturing, flexible production lines) | – | – | – | 2016 | Haining (Zhejiang) and other sites |
| Automated guided vehicle systems (AGV) for automatic material supply | – | – | – | – | – |
| AI quality inspection systems (automatic EL defect detection) | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certifications
Production takes place on automated lines with AI-based quality inspection and automatic EL defect detection; according to the company, the pass rate in quality tests reached 100%.
| Evidence | Yancheng | Jiuquan |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 27001 | ||
| Zero Carbon Factory (TÜV Rheinland) | ||
| SSI ESG Standard Silver |
Company History
- 2006
Astronergy is founded and enters the PV industry
- 2008
Production capacity of c-Si modules reaches 100 MW
- 2009
Module supply for the first Golden Sun Program projects in China
- 2010
Module supply for Rovergo, at the time Europe's largest solar power plant
- 2012
Module production line in Gansu Jiuquan completed
- 2014
Acquisition of the Conergy module factory in Frankfurt, module production in Germany
- 2015
Establishment of the Zhejiang Haining production site; annual shipments reach 1 GW
- 2016
Hangzhou smart factory goes into operation, Thai factory goes into operation, MIIT demonstration project for smart manufacturing China-Germany
- 2018
Worldwide launch of the ASTRO series; annual sales volume reaches 3 GW
- 2019
Launch of ASTRO 4
- 2020
Launch of ASTRO 5; inclusion in the MIIT list of smart PV pilot companies
- 2021
Launch of ASTRO 6/5s; Jiangsu Yancheng production goes into operation; investment in the upstream segment
- 2022
Independent PV business within CHINT Group; market launch of n-type TOPCon ASTRO N series; Jilin Songyuan goes into operation
- 2023
ASTRO N7 series introduced; new sites Fengyang, Yiwu, Yanchi, Yueqing; Yancheng certified as a carbon-free factory (TÜV Rheinland); sustainability strategy published
- 2024
Fuyang and Turkey sites go into operation; wafer cutting facilities Thailand
- 2025
Yibin production site goes into operation; EcoVadis Platinum; cumulative shipments reach 170 GW
- 2026
Publication of the 2025 sustainability report