TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing – May 2025

The May 2025 TOP SOLAR MODULES list sees a few changes in module efficiency, power output, and rankings. However, the number of listed products and companies remains unchanged at 50 and 32, respectively.

The first major change this month is observed at the 5^th rank, where Trinasolar’s Vertex N module improved its efficiency from 22.5% to 23%. This resulted in a significant jump in its ranking from 16^th to 5^th, thus affecting the rankings of other companies. Another notable update comes from Qcells, whose PERC module is now listed with a higher power rating of 600 W, while maintaining the same efficiency of 21.5%. Although this power upgrade did not impact its rank, Qcells is now placed above Runergy due to alphabetical precedence within the same efficiency and power class.

As part of this TOP SOLAR MODULES feature, we would also like to acknowledge last year’s efficiency leaders, highlighted through the updated TaiyangNews Badge of Excellence released in January 2025. As part of the 5^th edition of our annual TOP SOLAR MODULES Analysis Report 2024, released in December 2024, summarizing the findings from an analysis of 24 editions published throughout 2023 and 2024, we have also announced the names of the companies that are eligible for the Badge of Excellence. Introduced in 2023 and extended to 2024, the rule of the game remain the same – manufacturers who have featured in the Top 10 for at least 6 months within a calendar year are eligible to apply for this badge. The winners of the TaiyangNews Excellence Badge 2024 are: AIKO Solar, LONGi, Maxeon, Huasun, JA Solar, Tongwei, Astronergy, SPIC, DMEGC and JinkoSolar.

Background

Efficiency and output power are the 2 key characteristics of a solar module. While there are several means to improve module power, such as employing larger cell sizes or integrating more cells into a module, it’s the efficiency that truly speaks to the ability of the solar device to convert sunlight into power per area. That’s why this list includes only the highest-efficiency solar modules.

TaiyangNews has been diligently tracking the efficiency progress of solar modules through its annual reports on Advanced Module Technologies, a series that began in 2017. We also provide in-depth coverage of cell and module technology updates in our annual High Efficiency Solar Technologies Conference, the most recent of which took place in December 2024 (access the presentations here).

However, the solar sector is characterized by rapid change, with significant advancements occurring throughout the year. We capture these developments through the various events we organize on different topics. To synthesize this information and provide our readers with frequent updates on global module efficiency progress, TaiyangNews launched this monthly column on commercial TOP SOLAR MODULES at the beginning of 2022.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, TaiyangNews publishes reports analyzing this monthly list, the latest of which was released in December 2024 (see TOP SOLAR MODULES Analysis Report 2024).

Methodology

Before going into the details, here is some background on the methodology and selection criteria: module efficiencies have been improving considerably in recent years. In order to make the list rewarding for technically advanced products, we set 21.5% as the minimum efficiency criterion to feature in the list. We have listed only commercially available top solar modules from each cell technology stream of a module maker. For example, if a company is offering 2 different product streams based on PERC technology that have more than 21.5% efficiency, then only the product with the higher efficiency is considered for this list. But if a module maker is offering, for example, products based on PERC and TOPCon with efficiencies of 21.5% or above, then both products are listed. Efficiency is the only criterion for ranking in the list (whenever available in the specs, we have used 2 digits after the decimal point for efficiencies, otherwise one). However, as we see products with the same efficiency more often, power determines the order in this case. And when both the efficiency and power are the same, we list the manufacturers in alphabetical order.

The list does not distinguish between different module formats. All typical module sizes used in rooftop and ground-mounted solar system applications are included and treated equally, as companies increasingly use larger modules also for rooftop applications.

We only list modules that are based on the manufacturer’s cells produced in-house, which means modules using externally sourced cells are not featured in the TOP SOLAR MODULES list. Having the complete data sheet listed on its manufacturer’s website is the first step for a module to be considered a commercially available product. As such, the efficiency and power data listed here are taken from the datasheet available on the respective company’s website. This also means that any new product announcements without final technical data published are not included in the list, as their module specs often differ considerably from the products that are finally available for purchase, and some products presented at trade fairs do not even see commercial light at all. However, just the existence of an online datasheet generally does not suffice, especially for top efficiencies in the respective technology stream. If module specs listed on the websites seem to have ‘conspicuously’ high efficiencies or new record-efficiency products are announced, we ask for additional proof of commercialization before we include a product in the list.

Results & Changes

The latest edition of our TOP SOLAR MODULES list, compiled in early May 2025, includes 50 products from 32 companies. This edition features 2 major updates with improved efficiency for Trinasolar’s Vertex N module and Qcells featuring a high-power 600 W module in the PERC category.

AIKO has retained its top seat ever since announcing its entry into the list in March 2023, with its ABC series module boasting an efficiency of 23.6%. AIKO further cemented its dominance in June 2023 by breaking its own record and achieving a landmark 24% efficiency for a commercial module with another ABC series module. Again, after about a year, in May 2024, AIKO continued its legacy with its latest Comet 2U series that features 24.2% efficiency. This product – AIKO-G655-MCH72M – is built with 144 half-cells of the M10 format, enabling it to reach a power rating of 655 W, 35 W higher than its predecessor. This rise in power rating is not solely due to efficiency improvements, but also to an increase in the module size, i.e., the length, which has been increased from 2,278 mm to 2,382 mm, while the width remains the same at 1,134 mm. It is a monofacial module featuring a grid-free front design for improved aesthetics and uniform appearance. AIKO has provided third-party test lab measurement data, shipment data, and a list of projects where the module series has been used in commercial-scale installations as proof. AIKO has showcased a product with up to 24.4% efficiency and even one with 25% efficiency at various trade fairs, but we have yet to receive certification and shipment data from the company. LONGi previously held 3^rd place since May 2023, when its Hi-MO 6 module improved from 22.8% to 23.2% efficiency. In March 2025, with the commercialization of its Hi-MO 9 module with 24.1%, LONGi has moved up to share 2^nd place, sharing the rank with Maxeon. However, LONGi gets the first mention among the 2^nd rankers as the Hi-MO 9 module has a higher power output of 650 W than Maxeon’s 445 W.

The Hi-MO 9 module, based on LONGi’s proprietary HPBC (Hybrid Passivated Back Contact) cell technology, utilizes the company’s TaiRay wafer and BC technology. It retains the 144-half-cell design but features a bifacial configuration with a bifaciality of 70±5%, leading to more than a 6.5% increase in power generation. The module dimensions are 2,382 × 1,134 × 30 mm. Another notable difference from its predecessor is that its weight has increased to 33.5 kg from the Hi-MO 6’s 27.5 kg. This increase is likely due to the transition to a dual-glass design and larger wafer sizes. In addition to development on the commercial front, LONGi has also been working at the lab level, with its 27.3% efficiency still the highest for crystalline silicon solar cells. The company is also in the process of commercializing a very high efficiency model with 24.4% efficiency and a power rating of 660 W under the same Hi-MO 9 series.

Maxeon Solar secured the 2^nd position in May 2024, propelled by the introduction of its latest high-efficiency module, Maxeon 7, which replaced its Maxeon 6 panel. Despite maintaining the same power output of 445 W, the Maxeon 7 module has seen an impressive increase in efficiency from 23% to 24.1%. Similar to its predecessor, this IBC module features a sleek design with a white backsheet and a black frame structure. An important point to be noted here is unlike the previous product, which was built with 166 mm wafers, this Maxeon 7 series module is built with 112 cells based on a 125 mm wafer size. The Maxeon 7 panel comes with a performance warranty of 40 years. As mentioned above, the back contact technology expert announced the new 24.1% product in Feb. 2024. At the time, Maxeon said that the product is available for its select partners in Europe, while it planned to make these fully commercially available in Q3/2024 (see World’s Highest Commercial Solar Module Efficiency). However, we received shipment details and other data only in the May 2024 edition of the TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing.

As a result of the above changes, the Hi-MO 6 module from LONGi, which was upgraded from 22.8% efficiency to 23.2% in May 2023, moved down a place to 3^rd a year later in May 2024. LONGi’s product is based on its proprietary HPBC cell technology, which is essentially a back contact (BC) cell architecture. Apart from being top-class in efficiency, the Hi-MO 6 module series is also powerful. It reaches up to 600 W in the highest power class. However, this module is now replaced with Hi-MO 9, the company’s highest efficiency module, and is now placed 2^nd.

Huasun’s HJT module, which was introduced in September 2023, moved to the 4^th position in May 2024 due to improved efficiency and power ratings. Until August, Huasun’s top product was listed with 22.53% efficiency and 700 W power. The Himalaya series module from Huasun is based on the G12 wafer size in a 132-half-cell configuration. The module has an efficiency of 23.02% and a power rating of 715 W, which was the highest among all listed products for a few months. The release of this product was the first time that a module surpassed the 700 W benchmark. It is also bifacial, which, along with its high-power attribute, makes the product highly compatible with utility-scale applications. This 2 mm double-glass bifacial module has a bifaciality of 90±5%, measures 2,384 × 1,303 × 33 mm, and weighs 37.9 kg. It comes with a 15-year product warranty and a 30-year power warranty. This module’s efficiency and power were improved to 23.18% and 720 W in August 2024. Despite an improvement in efficiency, the module stays at rank 4. For more on this efficiency improvement story, see Huasun’s Director of Business Development Europe Christian Comes’ presentation on State of the Art High Efficiency – Heterojunction in 2024 here, which he presented during our Solar Power Plants 2024 Conference in April.

Like the March version, this month also sees a major change at the 5^th rank with one more company joining the 23% efficiency club. In March, 2 companies – Astronergy and DMEGC – reached this efficiency level, which had previously been held by 2 players – JA Solar and Tongwei Solar. In this May edition, Trinasolar joins this group with its latest Vertex N module. Thus, the number of companies sharing the 5^th rank has now increased to 5.

In December 2023, Tongwei also started offering a 715 W module. Its HJT module, which entered the list ranked 4^th, moved to 5^th in May 2024 and has remained unchanged. Till November 2023, Tongwei was only represented in the TOPCon segment and PERC (shingled) modules. With the inclusion of this HJT product, Tongwei is among the few companies to have featured simultaneously in all 3 different technology streams in our listing. However, its PERC module was delisted in September 2024, narrowing its representation to 2 streams. Tongwei’s HJT module is built with 132 half-cells of the 210 mm format. It is designed with the company’s THC cells – an n-type HJT cell technology. The highest power rating for this bifacial module is 715 W, with an efficiency of 23.0%. Tongwei has also provided production details and a testing report for this panel. Tongwei presented the details of its latest downstream plans at a TaiyangNews Conference here.

Trinasolar’s Vertex N series replaced the previous Vertex S+ in the September 2023 edition. Back then, while both product groups had the same efficiency, the former had a high power of 700 W compared to 450 W for the latter. Thus, the company’s order among the products with 22.5% efficiency went from the penultimate position up to 2^nd from the top in May 2024. The currently listed TSM-NEG21C.20 module is built with 210 mm wafers and 132 half-cut cells. This bifacial module uses a 2 mm glass on both sides and offers a bifaciality of 80±5%. Keeping these core specifications unchanged, the module has now improved its efficiency to 23% for a rated power of 715 W. As a result of this efficiency improvement, the module’s ranking has improved from 16^th to 5^th position in the latest edition.

Over the past 2 years, Astronergy has progressively improved its module efficiency. The previous ASTRO N5 variant, introduced in September 2023, had its efficiency upgraded from 22.5% to 22.6%, and later improved to 22.8% by March 2024. By November 2024, a high-power 640 W version with 22.9% efficiency was launched, achieved by increasing the cell count from 144 to 156, which also resulted in larger module dimensions (2,465 × 1,134 × 30 mm). In March 2025, ASTRO N7 replaced ASTRO N5 and improved its ranking from 7^th to 5^th. This bifacial TOPCon module is built with 132 half-cut cells using 182 mm rectangular wafers. Compared to the previous model, the newly listed N7 series product is slightly shorter in length at 2,382 mm, while the width and thickness remain the same at 1,134 mm and 30 mm. Thus, despite a higher efficiency of 23%, the module has a relatively lower power rating of 620 W. It comes with a bifaciality of 80±5%.

DMEGC’s Infinity series TOPCon module, which was last updated in April 2024 with 22.6% efficiency, was replaced with the Infinity RT series in July 2024. This module is built on the 210 mm rectangular wafer format and a 132-half-cell configuration. Compared to its previous 182 mm 144-half-cell configured module, this module has a 30 W higher rated power of 610 W and boasts an efficiency of 22.8%. This module, which moved up to 6^th from 10^th in the July edition, dropped to 7^th in October and then to 9^th in November. However, this module’s efficiency has improved to 23%, as has its ranking to 5^th from 9^th in March 2025 The module’s dimensions are 2,382 × 1,134 × 30 mm, and it weighs 32.3 kg. The 2 mm double-glass module features a bifaciality factor of 80±5%.

JA Solar’s previously best-performing TOPCon module, the JAM72D42 630/LB, which had remained unchanged since August 2023, was replaced in July 2024 by the higher efficiency JAM72D40 590/MB. This new module from the DeepBlue 4.0 series initially featured an efficiency of 22.8%, up from 22.5%, and improved it further to 23% in November 2024. As a result, JA Solar, which was ranked 12^th prior to July 2024 and 6^th until September, dropped to 7^th in October and shares the 5^th rank with the 3 companies above. Despite having the same 144 half-cells of M10 size and higher efficiency, this module has a lower power rating of 595 W, which is 35 W less than the previous 630 W. This is obviously due to a change in wafer format. JA Solar has developed 3 different half-cell formats derived from a single wafer size of 182 × 199 mm. One format involves cutting the cells into 2 symmetrical pieces along the longer length into 99.5 mm each. Cutting the same cell asymmetrically – one at 105 mm and another at 94 mm – gives 2 additional base formats. The company has designed several module configurations based on these 3 different wafer formats. While not explicitly mentioned in the datasheet, the earlier product, measuring 2,465 mm in height, seems to be built with 99.5 mm half-cell wafers. The latest product, with a height of 2,278 mm, is most likely based on the smallest wafer size of 94 mm. This is a bifacial double-glass module with a bifaciality of 80 ± 10%, interconnected with 16 busbars, and weighs 31.8 kg.

Grand Sunergy, a China-based manufacturer specializing in HJT cell manufacturing, entered the renewable energy sector in 2022. The company's heterojunction (HJT) module debuted on the list in October 2024 with an efficiency of 22.86%. Following November updates from JA Solar and Astronergy, the Grand Sunergy module, which was previously ranked 6^th, dropped to 8^th. With the efficiency improvements and ranking shifts in March 2025, its ranking dropped to 9^th. And with Trinasolar’s latest efficiency improvement, it now moves another step down to 10^th. Its GSM-MH3/132-BHDG710 module, which delivers a power output of 710 W, utilizes G12 large-size wafers and measures 2,384 × 1,303 × 33 mm, with a weight of 38.5 ± 0.5 kg. It features an 85% bifaciality and is supported by a 30-year linear power warranty.

The next efficiency band on our list is 22.8%, which, since July, has been represented by 5 products. It has reduced representation with only 3 products since November, following the advancements of Astronergy and JA Solar, previously part of this group, to higher efficiency. The products at this efficiency mark moved 2 places down to rank 9 in November.

Tongwei Solar updated the efficiency of another product, its TOPCon panel, in February 2024. The module, making its entry into the list in April 2023, improved its efficiency from 22.5% to 22.8%, along with an improvement in power from 580 W to 590 W. These improvements enabled its move from 10^th place to 6^th. However, the entry of Grand Sunergy in October moved it back to 7^th place and November updates pushed it further down to 10^th. With Trina’s move up, it now occupies the 11^th position on the list. The product is designed with a TNC cell type and an anodized aluminum alloy frame and features a linear power output warranty of 30 years. This product is built with 144 half-cells of the G12 wafer format.

Having maintained its 6^th rank since December 2023, SPIC stepped down to 7^th in October and to 9^th, alongside its fellow rankers, in November 2024. Considering the changes from LONGi, Astronergy and DMEGC, the rankings of Tongwei and SPIC also slipped down to 10^th in March and further to 11^th in May 2025.

While SPIC had been promoting a product with an efficiency of 22.3% till August 2023, it made a remarkable change in September 2023 by improving the efficiency of its top product by 0.5% absolute. Its Andromeda 3.0 product series features a top efficiency of 22.8%. The Chinese company has also provided shipment and production data, indicating the product’s commercial availability. The module features an elegant full black design combined with SPIC’s TBC cell technology, which is an IBC concept adopted on a TOPCon base cell architecture. The module, with a bifaciality of 70% and built with 120 half-cells, has a power rating of 410 W. SPIC is offering a 30-year power warranty for this product.

JinkoSolar, which slipped from 9^th to 11^th in the July edition and dropped another spot in October, has remained at 12^th place since then but now moves further down to 13^th in the current edition. The Tiger Neo TOPCon module is offered with a power rating of 585 W. This panel, which was last updated in September 2022, has a 144-half-cell configuration and an efficiency of 22.65%. This 2 mm dual-glass module has a bifaciality of 80±5%.

SolarSpace, a leading cell manufacturer that has ventured into module production, is represented in our listing with both PERC and TOPCon modules. The Lumina II TOPCon module, which entered the rankings in July 2023, was upgraded in December 2023 to a high-efficiency variant, increasing its efficiency from 22.02% to 22.45%. In November 2024, the company further enhanced the top efficiency of its commercial TOPCon offering to 22.65%, resulting in a significant jump in its ranking from 20^th to 12^th. However, with new updates in the latest edition, its ranking has now moved down to 13^th. This 580 W module is constructed with 144 half-cells using the 182 mm wafer format. Additionally, SolarSpace's Lumina I, a PERC module with an efficiency of 21.57%, is one of 7 products tied for the 40^th rank on the list. In December 2024, the SS9-66HS mono PERC module was replaced with the SS9-66HD bifacial PERC module.

In July 2024, REC Group, the Singapore-based manufacturer, made a significant update to its product lineup by commercializing the new bifacial Alpha Pure-RX module. This module replaced its predecessor, the Alpha Pure-R series, in our listing. This HJT module boasts an efficiency of up to 22.6% and a power output of 470 W. Designed with foil-wire combination interconnection technology, the Alpha Pure-RX has significant improvements over the previous model, which had an efficiency of up to 22.3% and a module power of 430 W. As a result of this advancement, REC’s ranking jumped from 27^th to 12^th and then a couple of places down to 14^th in November. It now slides one place in the May 2025 edition to 15^th.The Alpha Pure-RX module is built with 88 half-cut bifacial HJT cells, compared to 80 cells in the Alpha Pure-R, contributing to its higher power. The physical dimensions of the Pure-RX module are slightly larger, measuring 1,728 × 1,205 × 30 mm and weighing 22.7 kg, compared to the Pure-R’s 1,730 × 1,118 × 30 mm and 21.5 kg. It also features a bifaciality of 80 ±10%. Constructed with a highly resistant black polymer backsheet and an anodized aluminum frame, the module is made in Singapore and is offered with a comprehensive 25-year product and power warranty.

The best module from Jolywood, the early adopter of TOPCon technology whose products have not undergone any changes technically, ranks 16^th. The last change for this product was in August 2023 when its former Niwa Light module was replaced with a bifacial product called Niwa Pro, which has the same specifications of 440 W power and 22.53% efficiency.

The next group of products, all rated at 22.5% efficiency, saw the number of companies sharing this spot reduce from 7 to 6 in July 2024, with the collective ranking slipping from 15^th to 16^th in November 2024. In the latest edition, the count has further declined to 5 as Trinasolar advanced to the higher 23% efficiency band, leading to another drop in their group ranking to 17^th.

Risen gets the first mention among the 17^th rankers, a group that is structured according to power first and, if equal, according to alphabetical order. Risen Energy’s Hyper-ion module, which was included in June 2023, remains unchanged. This HJT module from Risen has an efficiency of 22.5%, corresponding to a high rated power of 700 W. The product is built with 132 half-cells, cut from the 210 mm original format, and is bifacial.

DAS Solar's DAS-DH156NA solar module remains unchanged in design. This n-type TOPCon module features 156 half-cells and delivers a power output of 630 W. Built on the 182 mm wafer format, this bifacial half-cell module has 2 mm glass on both sides, offering up to 80% bifaciality.

Canadian Solar’s TopHiKu6 TOPCon model is another module that offers 22.5% efficiency. Entering our list in June 2023, CS6W-580T has an efficiency that is 0.2 percentage points higher than the bifacial product it replaced. This module contains 144 half-cells based on the 182 mm wafer format and has a rated power of 580 W.

EGing PV improved its TOPCon module efficiency slightly in May 2024. Also from the Star Pro series, the company’s best TOPCon product has an efficiency of 22.5%, increased from 22.45%. This bifacial module, comprising 144 half-cells of the 182 mm wafer format, maintains its power rating at 580 W.

Runergy’s TOPCon module, listed with 22.4% efficiency until November 2023, improved it to 22.5% in December. With this change, the company moved from 21^st place to 10^th. This dropped to 12^th in April 2024, to 14^th in July, and has held the 17^th rank since November. The company is another leading Chinese cell vendor that ventured into the module business not too long ago (for background, watch our interview with Runergy CTO Yang Yang). Its 2 product streams, based on TOPCon and PERC cell technologies, were featured in our review for the first time in July 2023. Runergy’s HY-DH144N8 is built with 144 half-cells of the 182 mm wafer format. The bifacial TOPCon module has an efficiency of 22.5%.

As a result of module efficiency upgrades, the 22.45% efficiency band has been occupied by 2 companies since November, down from 3 in October and 4 in April. This reduction is due to the upgraded efficiency of SolarSpace’s TOPCon module in November. In the July 2024 edition, the collective ranking of these companies dropped from 19^th to 20^th, and then to 22^nd in November 2024.

Shanghai-headquartered solar cell and module manufacturer Qn-Solar entered our listing in July 2023. Originally a project developer and EPC, the 2014-launched company also operates its own power plants and has been strongly expanding into the manufacturing field recently to reach 69 GW cell and 39 GW module capacity in 2023, according to the company’s website. It is promoting TOPCon modules with an efficiency of up to 22.45%, qualifying it for the shared 22^nd position. Qn-Solar’s listed bifacial TOPCon product has a rated power of 580 W and is built on the 182-wafer format with 144 half-cells. Qn-Solar is also promoting a PERC module that qualifies with an efficiency of 21.57%, which earns it a place in our current listing at the 40^th position. The PERC module has an output power of 670 W.

URECO is a manufacturer formed from the merger of 3 leading Taiwanese cell manufacturers – Neo Solar Power, Gintech and Solartech. The company offers products based on all 3 mainstream cell technologies – PERC, TOPCon and HJT. While PERC products were already part of our earlier listing, the modules based on the remaining 2 advanced cell technologies were included in our August 2023 edition. Named GLORY, the company’s TOPCon series is represented by its FBF580B8D model with an efficiency of 22.45%, which means it is the 2^nd company to share the 22^nd rank. URECO’s HJT module, with a rated efficiency of 22.44%, very narrowly misses the spot by 0.01%, thus putting it 2 ranks down at 24^th. Called GLORY HELLO, the module is built with 120 half-cells of the 210 mm wafer format and has a power rating of 635 W.

Suntech’s module, which saw a change in April 2024, has remained unchanged since. The Ultra V Pro Plus module with 625 W was replaced with the lower-power 605 W Ultra V Pro. The latter is built with 132 half-cells, while the former had 156 half-cells. While its power output has changed, the module’s efficiency remains the same at 22.4%, as do its other characteristics, such as TOPCon cells and bifacial module technology. This module has moved to 25^th place in October from 24^th and holds this rank alone. Another product from Suntech featuring since July 2023 has an efficiency of 21.7%, is placed 33^rd, and is among the top efficiency products in the PERC category.

Kalyon PV, a vertically integrated PV manufacturer from ingot to module production headquartered in Turkey, debuted in March 2024 with its TOPCon module at rank 24, dropped to 25^th in July, and then to 26^th in October. The company, which has 4 factories and an R&D center, commenced production in 2019. Its TOPCon module, with 22.38% efficiency and 580 W power output, features M10 half-cut cell technology and a bifacial module design. Another module from Kalyon, listed in the PERC category until July, has since been delisted.

Yingli Solar, one of the early adopters of n-type wafer-based cell architectures, entered the list in November 2023 with its PANDA 3.0 PRO, a TOPCon module product that remains unaltered. The cells used in this module are made from its in-house 5 GW cell production capacity for TOPCon, while the company has 20 GW of module capacity, including PERC and TOPCon. The listed module is built with 156 half-cells. The bifacial module interconnected with MBB technology has an efficiency of 22.36% and a power output of 625 W. With Akcome’s delisting in January, Yingli moved up one rank to 27^th from 28^th, while another product from Yingli also earned a spot in our list in the PERC category in February 2022, which is now ranked 40^th.

Part of the vertically integrated GCL Group, which is a global leader in silicon production for the solar industry, GCL System Integration (GCL SI) offers solar modules, battery storage products as well as full PV project solutions. In the July 2023 edition, we included 2 GCL SI module products from its GCL GEMINI series – one TOPCon and one PERC. However, the April 2024 list replaced the TOPCon GCL GEMINI series with GCL LOTUS without altering the key specs of the product, while the PERC range remained under the GCL GEMINI series. The most efficient product of this series, the GCL_NT10/72GDF, represents the company’s TOPCon range and has an efficiency of 22.3% and a power output of 575 W. The bifacial module is designed with 144 half-cut cells based on the 182 mm wafer format. In October, this module moved from 28^th to 29^th to share the rank with Qcells. GCL regained the 28^th rank again in January. The number of companies sharing this position dropped from 3 to 2 in July, with REC’s move up.

Qcells re-entered our list in February 2024 with its TOPCon Q.TRON SMART product, which was replaced with a higher power Q.TRON variant already in March 2024. While its efficiency remains the same, the Q.TRON module delivers 35 W of additional power over the previous one. Interestingly, despite the power increase, the cell count has reduced from 120 to 108. This is only possible when adopting larger wafer formats. The current 108-cell configuration is most likely based on the M10 wafer format, half-cell and MBB module technology. According to the website, the module is available in the UK region. This module shares the 28^th rank with GCL SI.

CECEP Solar Technology Zhenjiang is a Chinese cell and module producer founded in 2010 that operates around 4 GW of cell and 8 GW of module capacity, according to its website. CECEP’s TOPCon product is a High Efficiency series bifacial solar module made with 144 half-cells based on M10 n-type wafers. The product is rated with an efficiency of 22.1% and a power output of 570 W. While this module has had no changes to its specifications, the above changes moved it up a rank from 31^st to 30^th.

The remaining 20 products in the list feature efficiencies below 22%, of which 2 are HJT-based while the bulk are PERC modules. The number of PERC modules has been declining recently. In July, Kalyon PV’s PERC module, and thus the company itself, was delisted, followed by Tongwei Solar in September. October saw the delisting of a module each from Astronergy and Talesun, and JinkoSolar’s module was delisted in December. In total, 5 PERC modules have been delisted over H2-2024. In January 2025, 2 PERC modules were delisted, one each from Akcome and Risen Energy, reducing the total number of PERC modules in the list to 18.

Jinergy’s HJT module, which was updated in September 2023, is ranked 31^st. Its efficiency of 21.85% is 0.17 percentage points higher than the previously listed product. Not just efficiency, the featured JNHM144-475 is a slightly larger module compared to the previous one, built with 144 cells, and thus has a higher power rating of 475 W. It is bifacial too, with a bifaciality of over 85%.

Meyer Burger is offering its HJT product with the same efficiency of 21.8% and a power rating of 390 W, listed at the 32^nd position.

There are several module series available today with efficiencies slightly exceeding 21.5%, as high-efficiency cell architectures are not a must to reach that level, but in order to design products beyond 21.7%, cell technology is key.

As shown in our recent TOP SOLAR MODULES analysis report, PERC in general was unable to support efficiencies above 21.6% until the end of 2023. At the time, modules with efficiencies above 21.6% usually employed cells based on high-efficiency cell architectures such as IBC, TOPCon or HJT.

Of late, however, we have observed an increase in the number of companies reaching module efficiencies of up to 21.7% with PERC. Until November 2022, LONGi and Risen were part of this group. Canadian Solar joined the list of 21.7% efficiency PERC modules in January, Tongwei in February, DAS Solar in April, and Suntech in July 2023 – all of them ranked #33. However, Tongwei’s PERC module with shingled technology was delisted in September, reducing the number of companies sharing the rank at the time from 6 to 5. In the January 2025 edition, Risen Energy discontinued its PERC module, prompting its delisting, and further reducing the number of companies ranked 33^rd to 4.

Following the order of rated power, the second module of Canadian Solar in this list, the HiKu7, is based on a 132-half-cell configuration with 210 mm wafer size and a rated power of 675 W. DAS Solar’s DAS-DH144PA module is based on a 144-cell and 182 mm wafer format. LONGi’s Hi-MO 5m module is built with 144 cells of 182 mm cell size, offering 560 W of power. Suntech’s Ultra V module has a 144-half-cell design based on the 182 mm wafer format and a rated power output of 560 W. As mentioned above, Tongwei’s shingled interconnection technology-based product with 21.7% efficiency and a power output of 430 W has been delisted as the company is not offering the module anymore.

In December 2024, JinkoSolar’s Tiger Pro module, previously ranked 39^th with an efficiency of 21.68%, was delisted due to the unavailability of its datasheet on the company’s official website. This left Akcome's iChaser PERC module, with the same efficiency of 21.68%, rated power of 560 W, and a 144-cell design using 182 mm wafers, as the sole occupant of the 39^th rank. However, in January 2025, the Akcome module was also delisted as its website was inaccessible. With Talesun’s PERC module delisted in October, the 41^st rank was shared by GCL SI, Trinasolar, and JA Solar, all with an efficiency of 21.6%. Following JinkoSolar’s delisting in December, these 3 modules moved up to the 40^th rank. By January 2025, with the reduction of 3 products, the ranking further shifted to 37^th. GCL SI and Trinasolar’s modules share a power rating of 670 W, both featuring 132 half-cells of G12 size. In contrast, JA Solar’s DeepBlue 3.0, built with 156 half-cells of M10 size, has a lower power rating of 605 W.

The next 7 products, with an efficiency of 21.57%, share the 40^th rank. Jinergy, Qn-Solar, Seraphim, Yingli and ZNShine leverage bifacial capabilities, while modules from SolarSpace and URECO are not specified. All these products are built with 132 half-cells of the 210 mm wafer format interconnected with MBB. Not just efficiency, these 7 products have the same rated power of 670 W due to the same wafer format and the count of half-cell strips.

EGing PV’s PERC product is the sole occupant of the current 47^th rank, moving up from the 53^rd place it had slipped to in April. It has a lower efficiency of 21.56%, but the power rating of 670 W is the same as the products from the group above.

The lowest efficiency of 21.5%, which is also the minimum threshold for inclusion in this list, is currently represented by 3 products at rank 48 – Runergy, Qcells, and CECEP. This edition sees an update from Qcells: a new high-power PERC module rated at 600 W, replacing the earlier 590 W version. While the efficiency remains unchanged at 21.5%, the power upgrade positions Qcells ahead of Runergy within this group, based on the alphabetical sorting method.

Summary

The latest TOP SOLAR MODULES listing, compiled in the first week of May 2025, features 50 high-efficiency products from 32 manufacturers, with no change in the total number of companies or modules. However, this edition does reflect a few efficiency and power updates that have impacted rankings. AIKO continues to lead the list with its ABC series module achieving 24.2% efficiency. LONGi holds the second position with its Hi-MO 9 module at 24.1%, a level it reached in March through a substantial 0.9% absolute efficiency gain. Maxeon also remains tied at this rank. The highest recorded efficiency stands at 24.2% for IBC modules, followed by 23.18% for HJT and 23% for TOPCon. Notably, Trinasolar has joined the 23% gang this month with its upgraded Vertex N module, contributing to reshuffling within the middle rankings. Meanwhile, Qcells updated its PERC module to a higher power class of 600 W. The listing continues to comprise 4 IBC, 8 HJT, 20 TOPCon, and 18 PERC modules.

Reports: If you want to learn more about the commercial module efficiencies of integrated module producers, please check our latest TOP SOLAR MODULES 2024 Report. This TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES 2024 report summarizes the key findings from over 24 editions published during 2023 and 2024 and analyzes the trends and developments for the different cell technologies (PERC, TOPCon, HJT, Back Contact) and listed companies (download the TOP SOLAR MODULES 2024 report for free here).

PS: If you have spotted a solar module somewhere that meets our criteria and is missing from this list, please send us the website link with the product specs to rajee.gattu@taiyangnews.info.

Disclaimer: TaiyangNews does not guarantee the reliability, accuracy or completeness of this TOP SOLAR MODULES Listings content. TaiyangNews does not accept responsibility or liability for any errors in this work