TaiyangNews recognizes the critical role efficiency plays in solar panels, influencing various technical and commercial aspects of photovoltaic systems. With this in mind, at the beginning of 2022, we started tracking the efficiency of commercial PV modules on a monthly basis, and have been publishing these monthly results on our website.
Looking at each edition of TOP SOLAR MODULES only provides the ranking of each product. However, looking at them collectively over a longer period reveals a lot of interesting trends and developments, which were summarized in our bi-annual analysis reports. So far, TaiyangNews has published 2 reports – TOP SOLAR MODULES 2022 and TOP SOLAR MODULES H1-2023 – that have presented the analysis of the data collected during the respective periods. Continuing the effort, TaiyangNews has recently published the TOP SOLAR MODULES 2023 report summarizing the trends observed in 2023 as well as in 2022 – collecting the data from the entire 24 editions of TOP MODULES over its first 2 years.
As a further development of TOP MODULES, TaiyangNews has now started a 'Badge of Excellence' scheme. Those module manufacturers featured in the top 10 of the TOP SOLAR MODULES list for at least 6 months of a calendar year are qualified to apply for a Badge of Excellence. The following companies have earned this badge thus far: Aiko Solar, Huasun, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, LONGi Solar, Risen Energy, Tongwei Solar, Trina Solar.
Manufacturers who are featured in the TOP 10 for at least 6 months within a calendar year can apply for the badge. A total of 8 companies have already availed the badge.
As with the previous editions, the core section of this report is the analysis of data with respect to efficiency and power, which are 2 critical attributes of solar modules, as well as companies' progress in these areas. Here, we look at how power and efficiency have improved in various categories, including efficiency bands and cell technology, as well as how different companies have advanced in terms of efficiency and power in different efficiency bands and also with respect to different cell technologies.
Count of companies & products
There has been an increased emphasis on efficiency in general, as is evident from the number of commercially-available products listed in the TOP MODULES section that meet the minimum efficiency criterion of 21.5%. From 20 in January 2022, this number increased consistently to 34 by December 2022. For the year 2023, the number of products continued to increase within the first half, to 38 in June and to 55 by December. The number of companies offering such products also increased from 19 to 23 over the course of 2022, to 25 by H1-2023, and then to 33 as of the end of 2023.
However, the count of companies has not increased proportionately with products. This indicates that more and more cell/module manufacturers are focusing on multiple technologies that ultimately result in module efficiencies above 21.5%. For example, the number of companies offering 2 product platforms based on different technologies was 11 in December 2022, which has increased to 20 by the end of 2023. Among the companies offering 3 products under each category – PERC, TOPCon and HJT – it was Canadian Solar that initially led with products under each category. It was later joined by Tongwei and URECO. With Canadian Solar discontinuing its HJT product, it was only the latter 2 that offered products under all 3 categories as of the end of December 2023.
TaiyangNews TOP MODULES 2023 report summarizes the key findings from over 24 editions published during 2022 and 2023. Download the free report here.