Cumulative shipments of 210mm modules reached 150GW by the end of June, with Trina Solar accounting for half of that, the global market intelligence provider TrendForce says.

By the end of the year the production capacity of 210mm modules is forecast to reach 722GW, or 69.83% of total capacity, TrendForce said. The increase in capacity and shipments demonstrates that large-format, high-power modules are rapidly advancing the development of the entire value chain. Furthermore, the power output of the 210mm n-type module has surpassed 700W, underlining the openness and innovation of 210mm product technology platform.

210mm wafer production capacity rose 89.3% over the year, with 210mm modules accounting for 70% of total module capacity

Larger and thinner wafers have advanced rapidly, with the large-format wafers quickly dominating the market, thanks to big cost reductions and improvements in efficiency. Large-format wafer capacity is likely to reach 878.6GW this year, accounting for market share of 95.33%, TrendForce said. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that 210mm wafer capacity is tipped to reach 357.2GW, 89.3% more than last  year.

Figure 1: Capacity share of wafers of various sizes (Unit: %)

Large-format cell capacity is likely to reach 1,136.2GW this year, 96.93% of the total, TrendForce said. 210mm cell capacity is expected to reach 899.9GW, 179% more than last year. This growth will also increase its market share to 76.8%.

Figure 2: Capacity share of large-format cells (Unit: %)

In the module segment, TrendForce estimates that large-format module capacity will reach 961GW this year, with market share of 92.84%. The production capacity of 210mm modules is forecast to rise to 722GW, 116% more than last year, accounting for 69.83% of total capacity. Capacity is forecast to continue expanding in the coming years, cementing the mainstream position of large-format modules in the market.

Figure 3: Capacity share of modules of different sizes (Unit: %)

High-power, large-format modules account for more than 90% of bidding activity, and the market penetration of n-type modules is accelerating

Thanks to cost reductions and improvements in efficiency and expanding application settings, the high-power, large-format modules now account for more than 90% of bidding activity, establishing themselves as the mainstream choice in the end market. Total bidding capacity of PV modules in China in the first seven months of the year was 137.78GW. Modules with power exceeding 540W accounted 98.37% of total bidding capacity at 135.5GW. Large-format modules (182mm/210mm) accounted for 98.42%, at 135.6GW. N-type modules reached 18.8% with 25.9GW, and that share continues to grow.

High demand has produced 150GW in cumulative shipments of 210mm modules

By the end of June, cumulative shipments of 210mm (including 210R) modules amounted to 150GW, TrendForce said. Among the 150GW 210mm module shipments, Trina Solar accounted for over 75GW.

TrendForce forecasts that continuing cost reductions and improvements in efficiency will continue to propel the shipment of large-format modules this year with shipments exceeding 85%. Additionally, 210mm module shipments are forecast to reach record levels.

Figure 4: Shipments of leading module manufacturers (Unit: GW)

Leading players are unveiling numerous n-type products, including 210mm n-type modules leading the industry into the 700W+ era

With the mass production of Vertex N 700W+ modules, Trina Solar is leading the industry into PV 7.0 era. The company said in its half-yearly financial report that by the end of the year the company will have established production capacity of 50GW for n-type wafers and 75GW for cells, with n-type cells accounting for 40GW.

In the realm of n-type modules, HJT modules are primarily 210mm, while TOPCon modules are mostly 210mm (210R) and 19X. When 210mm (210R) n-type modules are compared with 19X n-type modules, the former significantly outperform the latter in power output.

The 210mm n-type technology is set to deliver increased value across the industrial chain and the end market, thus promoting high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry.