JinkoSolar Ruled The Roost For Solar Panel Shipments In 2018

China’s JinkoSolar led the pack again in 2018 for solar panel shipments states a new report from data and analytics company GlobalData.

Jinko shipped 11.6 GW of modules during the year GlobalData says. So, how many panels is that? Figures weren’t provided, but just as a general idea, if the panels averaged 280 watts nameplate capacity that would be around 41.4 million solar panels (38.7 million @ 300 watts).

JinkoSolar was well ahead of the next in line, JA Solar, which racked up 8.8GW for the year and knocked Trina down a spot to secure the number 2 ranking.

Here’s the top ranked manufacturers for 2018 along with 2018/2017 shipment figures:

• JinkoSolar – 11.6/9.7GW
• JA Solar – 8.8/7.5GW
• Trina Solar – 8.1/9.1GW
• Lerri Solar Technology – 7.2/4.4 GW
• Canadian Solar – 6.4/6.9GW
• Hanwha Q Cells – 5.6/5.4GW
• Risen Energy – 4.8/2.5GW
• GCL System Integration Technology – 4.1/4.6GW
• Shunfeng Photovoltaic International – 3.4/2.5GW
• Talesun Solar Germany GmbH – 2.9/2.4GW
• First Solar – 2.7/2.6GW

Most of those names are familiar in Australia, with perhaps one of the exceptions being Lerri Solar, which has been owned by Longi Solar since 2015. However, Lerri panels were rebranded to Longi in 2017, so perhaps GlobalData should have noted Longi alongside Lerri in the above rankings.

Talesun Solar Germany is another curious notation. It’s Suzhou Talesun Solar Technologies Co. Ltd these days, which doesn’t sound quite so German.

65.6 GW of solar module shipments were represented by the top manufacturers last year, or around 234.3 million panels if they averaged 280 watts each (or 218.6 million @ 300W). If that 65GW of solar panel capacity was installed in Australia, it could generate somewhere in the region of 94,900 gigawatt hours (94.9 terawatt hours) of electricity a year¹. Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM)² electricity consumption was 196.2 terawatt hours over the 2017-18 financial year.

Clouds Still Gathering For Panel Manufacturers

While most of the top 10 saw increases in shipments during the year, GlobalData warns of a rocky road ahead in terms of revenue.

“… due to market saturation, reduction in subsidies and a drop in module prices, the global solar PV module market is estimated to register a negative compound annual growth rate of 11.2% from $32bn in 2018 to $20bn in 2022,” the company states.

Bad news for manufacturers, but good news for those installing solar power systems.