Integrated solar PV manufacturer JA Solar has signed a challenge agreement with TÜV Rheinland to pursue the world’s first desert solar PV module certification. It will be according to TÜV Rheinland’s new testing protocol for extreme desert environments. Said to significantly exceed IEC standards, the protocol includes enhanced sequences for temperature cycling, high-intensity UV radiation, dry heat, sand abrasion, erosion, hot spot resistance, and integrated stress tests.
JA Solar stated that this challenge aims to redefine performance benchmarks for desert modules and offer leading technical solutions for combating global desertification.
JA Solar recently supplied 1 GW of DeepBlue 4.0 Pro solar modules to China Huaneng’s desert PV project in Inner Mongolia (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Global intellectual property information provider IPRdaily has released 3 sets of rankings: Top 50 Global Invention Patents for Solar Cells and Modules, Top 30 Global Invention Patents for Perovskite Solar Cells, and Top 30 Global Invention Patents for TOPCon Solar Cells. These rankings cover patent applications disclosed globally from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2025.
In the perovskite category, Trinasolar ranked first globally with 481 patent applications, followed by Oxford PV (365) and Panasonic (347). For overall solar cell and module patents, JinkoSolar topped the list with 2,773 patents, followed by Trinasolar (2,008) and LONGi (1,559). In TOPCon-related patents, JinkoSolar ranked first with 1,181 filings, followed by Trinasolar (633) and LONGi (444).
Heterojunction (HJT) manufacturer Leascend has announced a major asset restructuring plan to acquire a 69.71% stake in PV and energy storage solution provider Zonergy. To be carried out through a combination of share issuance and cash payment, the transaction amount for the deal is yet to be finalized.
Leascend noted that the acquisition is aimed at enhancing vertical integration and synergy across HJT solar cells, energy storage systems (ESS), and solar power plant development, strengthening its position in the solar-storage segment.
Founded in 2007, Zonergy focuses on the construction, ownership, and operation of solar-storage power plants, along with R&D, production, and sales of related products. In 2024, the company reported revenue of RMB 979.88 million ($134.26 million) and net profit of RMB 192.01 million ($26.31 million).
Recently, Leascend subsidiary Meishan Leascend signed a framework agreement with Huasun for the sale of 1 GW A-grade G12 HJT cells (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
As part of its 2024 annual results released recently, solar PV ribbon manufacturer YourBuddy (YourBest) has disclosed that it achieved revenue of RMB 3.28 billion ($449.73 million), up 18.59% year-on-year (YoY). However, the company’s net profit attributable to shareholders dropped 74.49% to RMB 38.61 million ($5.29 million). This is slightly below the RMB 40 million ($5.51 million) and RMB 42 million ($5.79 million) range it forecast earlier this year (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
The company stated that while solar ribbon shipment volume grew in 2024, rapid price declines along the value chain significantly intensified market competition, leading to rising revenues but shrinking profits.
In its Q1 2024 report released earlier this month, YourBuddy posted revenue of RMB 699.70 million ($95.36 million), up 26.19% YoY, with net profit of RMB 34.62 million ($4.74 million), down 4.18% YoY.
Module manufacturer Talesun Solar’s parent company Zhongli Group has released its 2024 annual and Q1 2025 financial reports.
For FY2024, the company reported revenues of RMB 2.36 billion ($323.04 million), down 41.8% YoY. It posted a net loss of RMB 1.17 billion ($160.84 million), which is an improvement from its 2023 loss of RMB 1.50 billion ($205.83 million). The company’s solar module shipments for the year reached 887.73MW, down nearly 40% from 1.46 GW in 2023.
For Q1 2025, the company’s revenues totaled RMB 840.31 million ($115.13 million), down 32.14% YoY. Its net loss widened to RMB 186.87 million ($25.61 million) from a net loss of RMB 114.00 million ($15.60 million) in the same period last year.
Zhongli Group noted in its 2024 report that it had successfully completed a restructuring process, optimizing its balance sheet and introducing new funding. The company expects its operations to gradually return to normal and support sustainable growth moving forward.
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