Global solar module shipments in 2022 are more than 250GW and increasing every year. The market share of the top five PV companies (LONGi Solar, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, JA Solar, and Canadian Solar) seems to exceed 50%, and the trend toward oligopoly seems to be progressing. On the other hand, considering that the Japanese market in 2022 will be about 5GW, only 2% of the global market, information and selection of the world’s mainstream solar modules will be an important point in terms of the importance of continuity as an infrastructure business.

Solar modules using large cells (182mm and 210mm) have become the main models of each manufacturer. Furthermore, due to the commonization of module sizes, the 400 watt class, 550 watt class, and 650 watt class seem to be the most commonly distributed sizes and power class.

1. Solar modules 400 watt class (410-450 watt):

The 400 watt class, which is the successor to the 370/380 watt class of 120 half-cut cells (166mm cells) that were the mainstream in 2021, is mainly classified into the following two sizes:

• Standard size for each manufacturer: 1722 x 1134 x 30 (35) mm
• Trina Solar and Jinko Solar: 1762 x 1134 x 30 mm

2. Solar modules 550 watt class (545-585 watt):

It is the successor to the model that was distributed in 2021 with 450 watt class of 144 half-cut cells (166mm cells.) The module size has also become larger and is currently the most produced size, and each manufacturer produces bifacial modules in this size as well.

• Standard size for each manufacturer: 2278 x 1134 x 35 (30) mm
• Trina Solar: 2384 x 1134 x 35 (30) mm

3. Solar modules 650 watt class (625-675 watt):

This is the largest size module used for ultra high-voltage projects in Japan and for utility-scale power plants around the world, and the number of manufacturers is slightly reduced.

• Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, and Suntech Power: 2384 x 1303 x 35 (33) mm
• Jinko Solar: 2465 x 1134 x 35 (30) mm

4. Degradation rate of solar modules, warranty period:

After an era in which a 10-year product warranty period and a 90% performance guarantee for solar modules were the norm, SolarWorld of Germany launched a linear performance warranty in 2009.

Since then, the cost of solar modules, as well as the power class of solar modules, conversion efficiency, product warranty period, and degradation rate conditions related to performance warranties have all improved.

The warranty periods and degradation rates for typical solar modules over the last few years are as follows:

• Product warranty period: 10 years, 12 years
• Performance warranty period: 25 years, 30 years
• Degradation rate (1st year): 2%, 2.5%
• Annual degradation rate (after 2nd year): 0.55%, 0.45%

The latest warranty period and degradation rate have been improved as follows due to various latest technologies and solar cells made of N-type monocrystalline silicon.

• Product warranty period: 12 years, 15 years
• Performance warranty period: 25 years, 30 years
• Degradation rate (1st year): 1.0%, 1.5%
• Annual degradation rate (after 2nd year): 0.4%, 0.45%

The differences in performance warranty between the solar module at the beginning of the FIT, the current general module, and the current latest module are as follows:

• the beginning of FIT: 97% (1st year), 90.70% (10th year), 83.70% (20th year)
• the current general model: 98% (1st year), 93.05% (10th year), 87.55% (20th year)
• the current latest model: 99% (1st year), 95.40% (10th year), 91.40% (20th year)

Based on the evaluation of performance warranty, the 19-year electricity sales of the current latest model will exceed the 20-year electricity sales of the solar module at the beginning FIT.

Please contact us if you are interested in evaluation and comparative study for development and design of PV power plants, renovation and repowering of existing PV power plants, and expansion of PV power plants.