Results & ChangesOur current list, compiled in the first week of January 2024, features 50 products from 32 companies. This represents a decrease of 2 products compared to the previous month, with the number of companies reducing by 1.This follows the exclusion of Risen Energy’s PERC module and the complete withdrawal of Akcome as a company from the list. Risen Energy’s long-standing PERC module, last updated in July 2023, has been removed as the company has discontinued this product. Another major change is the delisting of Akcome’s modules. Akcome entered the listing in July 2022 with an HJT module and briefly exited in December 2022, reappearing in January 2023 with a PERC module. The company’s HJT module had its efficiency increased from 22.22% to 22.37% in December 2023, while the PERC module remained unchanged throughout its listing. Both modules are now delisted.These changes have only impacted the ranking of products from 26th onwards, implying 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 just due to efficiency improvement, but the module size, i.e., the length, 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 delivered 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 showcased a product with up to 24.4% efficiency at SNEC & Intersolar Europe 2024, but we have yet to receive certification and shipment data from the company. AIKO also presented a very impressive 25% module at its booth, but the first shipments will probably only start toward the end of the year.Maxeon Solar secured the 2nd position in May 2024, propelled by the introduction of its latest high-efficiency module Maxeon 7, which replaces the Maxeon 6 panel. Despite maintaining the same power output of 445 W, Maxeon 7 comes with 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, it said that the product is available for select partners of the manufacturer in Europe, while Maxeon had plans 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 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 a place down to 3rd 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. The 144 (6 × 24) half-cell panel is a single-glass (3.2 mm) product with an anodized aluminum alloy frame, measuring 2,278 × 1,134 × 35 mm and weighing 27.5 kg. The module with up to 23.2% efficiency also features a 25-year power warranty with <1.5% power degradation in the first year and an average of 0.4% from years 2 to 25. The world’s largest vertically integrated module maker recently published a new solar lab cell efficiency record of 27.3% and announced its Hi-MO 9 panel with 24.43% efficiency (see LONGi Announces New Lab-Scale Cell Efficiency Record). LONGi also showcased it at SNEC and Intersolar Europe. However, the product does not find itself in our listing as the company has yet to provide details about the commercial status of this high-efficiency module.Huasun’s HJT module, which was introduced in September 2023 and moved to the 4th position in May 2024, has 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 also 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 improved its efficiency to 23.18% and power to 720 W in August 2024. Despite an improvement in efficiency, the module stays at the 4th rank. 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.In December 2023, Tongwei Solar also started offering a 715 W module. Its HJT module, which entered the list at 4th, moved to 5th in May 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, limiting its representation as a result. 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. More details on Tongwei’s latest downstream plans in its presentation at a recent TaiyangNews Conference here.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 12th prior to July 2024 and 6th until September, dropped to 7th in October and shares the 5th rank with Tongwei. 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 x 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.In March 2024, Astronergy upgraded its module efficiency from 22.65% to 22.8% and introduced a high-power, high-efficiency module from the same Astro N5 series. This bifacial panel improved its efficiency to 22.8% in November 2024. The module features 156 half-cut cells of the 182 mm wafer format and a power output of 640 W – an increase of 40 W over the previous model. This enhancement was achieved by increasing the cell count from 144 to 156, which also resulted in larger module dimensions of 2,465 × 1,134 × 30 mm. Despite these improvements, Astronergy's ranking has remained steady, still positioned at 7th as in the October update.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 6th, dropped to 8th. 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 9in November.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 6th from 10th in the July edition, dropped to 7th in October and then to 9th in November. The module 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%. The module comes with a 30-year linear power warranty, less than 1% degradation in the first year, and a maximum of 0.4% annual degradation thereafter. Since DMEGC’s Infinity RT series module has the highest power output among all 3 modules listed at the 9th rank, it is placed first among the group.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 10th place to 6th. However, the entry of Grand Sunergy in October moved it back to 7th, and further updates in November pushed it down to 10th place. 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 6th rank since December 2023, SPIC stepped down to 7th in October and to 9th, alongside its fellow rankers, in November 2024. While the Chinese company 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 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 bifacial 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 moved 2 places down from 9th to 11th in the July edition and then to 12th in October, remains ranked 12th. 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 20th to 12th. 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 40th 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 replaces 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 27th to 12th and then a couple of places down to 14th in November. 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 15th. 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 are all listed with 22.5% efficiency. The number of companies sharing this spot decreased from 7 to 6 in July and it remains unchanged since. However, their collective ranking fell from 15th to 16th in November.Risen gets the first mention among the 16th 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.Trinasolar’s Vertex N series replaced the previous Vertex S+ in the September 2023 edition. While both product groups have the same efficiency, the currently-featuring Vertex N has a high power of 700 W compared to 450 W for the former. Thus, the company’s order among the products with 22.5% efficiency went from the penultimate position up to 2nd from the top in May 2024. The TSM-NEG21C.20 is built with 210 mm wafers and 132 half-cut cells. This bifacial module, using a 2 mm glass on both sides, reaches a bifaciality of 80±5%.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 yet another module that offers 22.5% efficiency. The module entered our list in June 2023, replacing a bifacial product, and has an efficiency that is 0.2 percentage points higher. CS6W-580T has 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 its efficiency to 22.5% in December. With this change, the company moved from 21st place to 10th. This dropped to 12th in April 2024, to 14th in July, and holds the 16th 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%. However, Runergy might soon disappear from that list depending on Tongwei’s plans for the brand. Tongwei’s takeover plans for Runergy became public in August 2024 (see Tongwei Makes Offer To Acquire Majority Stake In Fellow Chinese Company).
