Key Takeaways
The lower limit for HJT module efficiency rose from 21.68% in 2022 to 21.85% by August 2023, with the upper limit exceeding 23% by September 2023
REC led initially with 22.2% efficiency until Huasun reached 23.02% in September 2023, maintaining the top spot into H1 2024
Canadian Solar, Akcome, Risen, and Tongwei introduced high-efficiency HJT modules, pushing industry standards.
For Heterojunction technology, the lower limit of 21.68% was maintained throughout 2022 and a major part of 2023, before it changed once—increasing to 21.8% in August. The January 2022 upper limit of 21.9% was bettered in February to reach 22.2%, which remained the case till April. It then increased to 22.5% in May, and again marginally to 22.53% in July 2022. It exceeded the 23% level in September 2023, up to 23.02%, and remained so until the end of the coverage period for this report—H1 2024.
As for the companies, REC held the top spot at 22.2% until March 2022. Then in April, Huasun, the HJT segment pioneer that had been promoting a 22.1% HJT module, commercialized an HJT product with 22.2% efficiency, sharing the top space with REC. In May 2022, Canadian Solar entered the list with a 22.5% product, pushing REC down to 2nd with its 22.3% efficiency HJT module, which itself had increased from 22.2%. The very next month, Huasun commercialized its new HJT module with 22.53%, which remained the top efficiency until August 2023. In September, Huasun bettered itself by commercializing a module with 23.02% efficiency, which not only took HJT beyond the 23% level but also earned it a place among the top 3 ranks in our list. Huasun continued its lead till the coverage period of this report—H1 2024 (see HJT Module Trends And Developments).
REC and CSI also maintained the efficiencies of their HJT products at the same level during the period, at 22.3% and 22.5%. In June 2022, Akcome entered our listing as an HJT maker with a 22.5% efficient module, but the product specs became inaccessible in November. While the company released a new HJT module in December 2022, it was with a lower efficiency of 22.22%. Exactly after 1 year, in December 2023, the company improved it to 22.37%. Longtime HJT proponent Risen’s HJT module was featured for the first time in our list in April 2023 with an efficiency of 22.5%, the same as CSI’s product. URECO joined the list with 22.44% efficiency in August 2023, and all 3 products remained unaltered till the end of the year. Our December 2023 edition included the HJT module from Tongwei for the first time with an impressive 23% efficiency.
Meyer Burger, a Germany-based HJT manufacturer using its own proprietary cell and module production equipment, maintained the same module efficiency of 21.8% throughout our TOP SOLAR MODULES coverage. Jinergy’s HJT module represented the lower limit of HJT modules at 21.68% from the beginning of 2022 until August 2023. In September, the company commercialized a module with an improved efficiency of 21.85%, pushing Meyer Burger’s product to the lowest level in this segment. These 8 companies maintained their respective efficiency levels throughout the first 6 months of 2024 as well.
The TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES H1/2024 Report summarizes the key findings from over 30 editions published during 2022 and H1/2024. Download the free report here.