PV InfoLink’s 2021 PV Module Shipment Ranking

• PV InfoLink's solar module shipment ranking for 2021 places LONGi Solar on top with Trina Solar and JA Solar occupying the next position
• Top 10 module suppliers shipped over 160 GW, accounting for more than 90% market share
• Large format modules have become mainstream as their share was around 40% of total shipments by the top 10 suppliers, excluding First Solar
• Medium and small-sized companies lose out on capacity utilization, overseas markets and raw material supply when compared to vertically integrated companies

Chinese solar panel makers continue to crowd the module shipment ranking of Top 10 global suppliers in 2021, compiled by solar PV market intelligence firm PV InfoLink. LONGi Solar stays on top having shipped more than 10 MW of modules more than Trina Solar and JA Solar.

LONGi's final module shipment for 2021 are yet to be published by the company. Its H1/2021 numbers added up to 17.01 GW alone (see LONGi Shipped 17 GW+ PV Modules In H1/2021). In 2020, it shipped more than 20 GW (see LONGi Largest Solar Module Supplier In 2020).

Both Trina Solar and JA Solar come next on the list 'given significant increase in concentration in the module segment in 2021'. While Trina Solar's overseas shipments accounted for 65% of its total shipments, JA Solar performed well in operation management despite high costs.

Each of the Top 5 companies, including JinkoSolar on 4^th and Canadian Solar on 5^th, shipped more than 10 GW modules in 2021. Risen Energy, Hanwha Q Cells, First Solar, Suntech (Wuxi+Changzhou) and Astronergy were next from 6^th to 10^th positions, respectively.

Of the 172.6 GW of module demand, these 10 manufacturers combined shipped over 160 GW modules last year, accounting for more than 90% market share. PV InfoLink analysts see vertically integrated companies as having advantage over the rest as their shipments during H2/2021 went up in overseas markets for 'higher prices'.

PV InfoLink believes a price war may rear its head again in H2/2022 as manufacturers will compete to grab market share. Meanwhile, medium and small-sized module producers will lose out due to lower utilization rates and short supply of raw materials.

'The share of large format modules represented around 40% of total shipments by the top 10 (excluding First Solar), meaning that large format has become the mainstream,' according to the analysts.

PV InfoLink's recently said M10 and G12 market share exceeded 53% in 2021 (see PV InfoLink's 2021 Cell Shipment Ranking).