JinkoSolar, LONGi Green and Canadian Solar focus on module efficiency and quality ahead of new mandatory Chinese PV standards

New mandatory energy efficiency standard includes differentiated efficiency thresholds for TOPCon, HJT and BC technologies

The standard, jointly issued by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission and State Administration for Market Regulation, covers the full PV chain and is set to take effect on 1 January 2027.

It imposes tiered efficiency entry requirements across the three mainstream cell technologies. Modules below the Grade 3 threshold will be barred from production, sales and domestic project bidding, fundamentally reshaping the industry’s supply structure. The Grade 3 minimum conversion efficiency is set at 23.2% for TOPCon and HJT modules.

At its investor briefing, JinkoSolar said the new standard tightens energy consumption and efficiency requirements across polysilicon and wafer production. In centralised procurement, SOE bidding criteria have moved beyond price to include lifecycle returns, brand track records and product reliability.

JinkoSolar has a mature TOPCon platform, with an annual production capacity of more than 80GW, and the company expects to retain core shares in large-scale domestic procurement, while smaller players without upgrading capabilities will face accelerated capacity phase-outs.

LONGi Green, focusing on the BC route, noted the new standard sets the minimum entry efficiency at 23.5%, equivalent to 635W for the standard module size of 1134mm × 2382mm.

Its mass-produced hybrid passivated back contact (HPBC) modules all exceed 650W, and all existing lines meet the strictest national criteria. On the R&D front, the company continues to advance crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem cells and has repeatedly set lab efficiency records, though the technology remains an R&D reserve with no near-term mass-production plans.

Canadian Solar said the dual efficiency-cost framework will steer the industry away from destructive price wars that have affected the Chinese solar sector in recent years. Its TOPCon 3.0 modules deliver up to 670W and 24.8% in efficiency, with mass shipments starting in August 2026. The idea is that, as low-efficiency capacity is phased out and demand rebounds, the profitability of the PV value chain should gradually improve.

All three agreed the mandatory standard marks an inflection point for high-quality industry development. Near-term oversupply and margin pressures will persist, but long-term capacity optimisation will raise the share of high-efficiency products.

A clear technology hierarchy has taken shape. TOPCon retains centralised procurement dominance due to cost and maturity. BC is steadily gaining penetration with higher efficiency. Perovskite tandem remains a next-generation reserve and is not expected to displace current mass-production technologies in the near term.

Energy storage scales up rapidly to form a second growth driver

Energy storage is scaling up rapidly as a second growth driver for all three leaders, with domestic and global rollout timelines and capacity plans disclosed.

LONGi Green launched its LONGi ONE integrated storage portfolio in April, leveraging its established PV channels to secure orders home and abroad and achieving volume deliveries in Q2. It has yet to release 2027 capacity plans and will adjust capacity expansion pace flexibly based on demand.

Canadian Solar has posted solid storage results and remains bullish on long-term growth. The company expects the global utility-scale storage market to sustain strong momentum in 2027, driven by renewable expansion, grid peaking needs and supportive policies in Europe and the US.

Canadian Solar recently reached a key overseas manufacturing milestone, with its Indiana cell plant coming online in July. Phase one, with a nameplate capacity of 2.1GW, is ramping up, while phase two is under construction. By 2027, the company will fully activate its integrated US capacity to align with Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) domestic content incentives.

JinkoSolar plans to leverage TOPCon channel synergies to expand PV-storage projects, offering bundled solutions including inverters and full storage systems, targeting large domestic bases, overseas decentralised markets and utility-scale plants.

The new standard may then accelerate consolidation. Leaders with efficient mass production, comprehensive storage operations and localised overseas manufacturing will widen their lead over smaller rivals, as the industry enters a new competitive phase defined by advantages in technology, storage and global operation capabilities.