Suntech claims new module series outperforms ‘standard’ mono PERC on LCOE by 6%

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Source: Suntech.

Suntech claims its new HIPower Max series can outperform standard mono PERC modules on levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) by up to 6%.

That’s compared to existing 375W mono PERC modules with half-cut cells. Suntech’s new high-efficiency mono PERC module features a range of innovations from its industry-leading R&D facilities focussed on ramping up power from the same footprint.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

It uses a 78-cell large sheet design, with output power as high as 440W and efficiency up to 20.1%, according to Suntech.

The firm swapped the specs of the HIPower Max with those installed on a 120MW plant in Australia and estimates that LCOE could be lowered by as much as 6% thanks to greater yield and lower balance of system costs.

“LCOE is the definitive metric for solar power plants as we move into the post-subsidy era. Suntech has focussed its considerable R&D efforts into maximising this for our customers as they look to improve yields,” said Zhang Wei, VP Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd. “This fact is even more pertinent in markets like Western Europe and Southeast Asia where land is either very expensive, scarce or both.”

The cells are 2mm wider and longer than standard monocrystalline cells. The 158.75 square monocrystalline PERC cell is also completely square eliminating wasted space. The effective power generation area is increased by 1.2%, resulting in an average power gain of 8W.

The example in southern Australia found a common monocrystalline PERC half-cell 375W module is delivering an LCOE of 0.03 USD/kWh. Suntech claims the HIPower Max 440W module came in 6% lower than that.

The half-cell structure technology also significantly lowers the module's operating temperature. Compared to common modules, the half-cell module at an ambient temperature of 35℃ can have an operating temperature 2.5℃ lower. That results in a generating capacity per Watt 4.64% higher than that of a common module guaranteeing more power at higher temperatures.

The HIPower Max series will benefit from Suntech’s 25-year linear performance guarantee and a 12-year product warranty.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

July 3, 2025
Malaysian engineering and infrastructure giant Gamuda has expanded its presence in the Australian renewables sector by partnering with Tasmanian landowners to build a 1.2GW portfolio, which includes solar PV.
Premium
July 2, 2025
ANALYSIS: China's leading PV manufacturers are locked in a new round of competition, aiming to outpace each other through record-breaking feats.
July 2, 2025
Indigenous-led renewable energy company Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has submitted plans for a hybrid wind and solar PV renewable energy project to the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
July 2, 2025
Robotics company Luminous has received AU$4.9 million (US$3.2 million) via Australia’s Solar ScaleUp Challenge to support deploying its ‘LUMI’ technology at utility-scale solar PV power plants.
July 1, 2025
French private equity firm Ardian Clean Energy Evergreen Fund (ACEEF) has bought 117 solar PV plants, worth 116MW of total capacity in several locations in Italy.
July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK