PV InfoLink has updated its analysis of product market share based on different sizes of silicon wafers, indicating that, with M10 modules having a share exceeding 60% in the first half of the year, the overall figure for the format in 2022 has increased to 58%. With the analysts estimating the market share of 210 modules at just over 20% for the same period and, with some major players choosing to base investment in new technology cells on M10, the trend would suggest its continued growth to achieve mainstream status.
Market share expectations for M10 products have increased several times since the launch of M10 and G12 modules in 2020. Initial analysis suggested that use of M10 products made upstream and downstream matching easier to achieve, leading to a slight advantage in early comparisons. ≥ G12 products have a large-scale cell capacity layout which, over time, may result in the format being able to take advantage of equipment capability to win greater market share, although such a prediction only considers manufacturing capacity rather than an analysis of the technology and application of the product.
Some leading industry players, represented by LONGi, Jinko and JA Solar, believe M10 products have clear advantages in terms of reliability, manufacturing, packaging, installation, system design and electrical safety, citing application in numerous projects during the past two years as the basis for this view:
LONGi believes that the M10 format can also reduce costs during the manufacturing process. Larger modules based on a G12 wafer do not necessarily reduce costs at module level due to higher expenditure on the wafer and module bill of materials (BOM). At the system level, the M10 module can achieve lower total costs compared with its larger size equivalent when considering cabling and tracker related expenditure.
As can be seen from module application in numerous projects, power station investors and EPC companies have been faced with a choice between high power and rational consideration of value and risk, with a resultant pause in the trend towards increasing the size of cells and modules witnessed for several years. As the respective market share of M10 and G12 products evolves, the PV industry may return to standardization, with the objective of technological innovation once again focused on the critical metric of conversion efficiency improvement.
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Under its mission of 'making the best of solar energy to build a green world', LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established five business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment. The company has honed its capabilities to provide green energy and has more recently, also embraced green hydrogen products and solutions to support global zero carbon development. www.longi.com