Technology

Solar Modules Above 22.5% Efficiency

A Total Of 9 Companies Surpass 22.5% Efficiency in High-Efficiency Solar Module Listing by End of 2023

Shravan Chunduri
  • Maxeon and Jolywood started the trend with 22.7% and 22.53% efficiency respectively, leading the >22.5% band until July 2022
  • LONGi entered the list in October 2022, matching Maxeon at 22.8% efficiency, thus taking the top spot
  • Aiko made an entry in March 2023 with a remarkable 23.6% efficiency, followed by a 24% offering in June, setting new standards
  • Astronergy and Tongwei closed 2023 with 22.65% and 23% efficiency respectively, bringing the total companies in the >22.5% band to 9 by the end of the year.

In our previous article on Module Efficiency Developments, we analyzed progress of high efficiency modules in 4 bands, >22.5%, >22% to 22.5%, >21.7% to 22%, and 21.5% to 21.7%. Continuing with the same chronology of high efficiency products first, in the highest efficiency band above 22.5%, only 2 companies, Maxeon and Jolywood, offered such products until June 2022. SunPower spin-off Maxeon had an efficiency of 22.7% at the launch of our listing, which was later improved to 22.8% in April 2022, while Jolywood offered a module at 22.53%.

In July 2022, Huasun joined the club with a 22.53% HJT module. In October, JinkoSolar entered the league with its TOPCon product, achieving 22.65% and taking the 2nd place. Then in October 2022, LONGi surprised the industry with its HPBC technology, realizing 22.8% efficiency, which was on par with Maxeon's module that had been No.1 for several years before we started this feature. As emphasized further above, Aiko made a remarkable entry in March 2023, directly taking the top spot with its 23.6% efficient ABC module series, and subsequently raising the bar again with a 24% product in June. After Maxeon updated its product offerings with the inclusion of a 23% IBC module, as many as 3 new products were added to this efficiency band in September 2023: Huasun's top HJT module efficiency was 23.02%, the TOPCon-based IBC module from SPIC came with an efficiency of 22.8%, and Astronergy's TOPCon product showed a top efficiency of 22.6% (see Top 3 Efficiencies In 2023).

A period of progress: For the >22.5% efficiency band, while Aiko hitting the 24% mark is phenomenal, H2-2023 saw many developments from Maxeon, Huasun, Tongwei, SPIC and Astronergy. (Source: TaiyangNews)

The next change took place in the last month of 2023, when not only Astronergy improved its TOPCon product range with an efficiency reaching 22.65% – the same as that of JinkoSolar's TOPCon products – but Tongwei's HJT module created ripples with 23% efficiency. Thus, by the end of 2023, a total of 9 products/companies reached the above-22.5% efficiency band.

The TaiyangNews TOP MODULES 2023 Report summarizes the key findings from over 24 editions published during 2022 and 2023. Download the free report here.