A quiet but consequential shift is underway in China's solar procurement landscape. Back-contact (BC) solar cells, long confined to niche distributed rooftops, are now being written into the bidding documents of some of the country's most conservative state-owned energy buyers. In 2026, four central state-owned enterprises-Beijing Energy Group, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China Datang, and the South-to-North Water Diversion Group-have together launched BC module tenders totaling 6.5 GW, according to industry research. The scale alone would have been unthinkable two years ago, but it is the threshold attached to those tenders that reveals how far the technology has traveled: bidders must supply modules rated at no less than 635 Wp with conversion efficiency of at least 23.5%.
From Rooftops to Ground Stations
The symbolic weight of the number lies in where it is being deployed. BC's historical stronghold has been distributed generation-rooftops, commercial buildings, and airports-where its aesthetic uniformity and high power density per square meter command a premium. Extending BC procurement to ground-mounted utility-scale projects signals that the technology has cleared the economic and reliability bar set by the sector's most risk-averse buyers. Datang's contribution alone is a 4 GW framework procurement for 2026–2027, while Beijing Energy has set a 2 GW annual BC framework, CNPC has carved out a 200 MW BC-specific package, and the South-to-North Water Diversion Group has reserved a 300 MW independent BC section.
The procurement terms also tighten the competitive field. Beijing Energy requires bidders to demonstrate cumulative supply experience of at least 300 MW, a filter that effectively sidelines laboratory-stage entrants and favors manufacturers with proven mass-production track records. A distributed PV distributor quoted in Chinese industry media put the new reality bluntly: "Without BC modules, it is now basically difficult to even enter a project owner's shortlist".
Industry Response: "All in BC"
The manufacturing response has been equally decisive. LONGi, the world's largest monocrystalline module maker, has committed to an "All in BC" strategy, converting existing TOPCon lines and targeting BC at 70–80% of its 2026 module shipment goal of 80–90 GW. Its HPBC 2.0 cell capacity already stands at 46 GW owned plus 11 GW collaborative, and its BC cell production yield has reached 98.5%, with mainstream module power at 650–670 W and a maximum of 680 W. Aiko Solar, the other early mover, is investing RMB 1.665 billion to convert 5 GW of legacy PERC capacity in Yiwu and 6 GW of TOPCon capacity in Chuzhou into ABC (all-back-contact) lines, targeting 30–35 GW of ABC capacity by 2026. TCL Zhonghuan has followed with a plan to convert 20 GW of TOPCon cell capacity and 25 GW of module capacity across six bases, with full ramp-up expected by the first quarter of 2027. Industry estimates place China's total BC cell capacity above 100 GW in 2026, with BC's share of cell shipments rising from roughly 5% to 11%.
A Platform Technology, Not a Niche Bet
The strategic logic behind BC's expansion rests on its architecture. Unlike a standalone cell design, BC is a platform technology compatible with PERC, TOPCon, and HJT substructures; variations in substrate selection and passivation schemes yield PBC, TBC, and HBC derivatives, leaving identifiable headroom for further efficiency gains. This matters because it allows manufacturers to preserve existing supply-chain investments while reconfiguring the front-side metallization and rear-side contact architecture-a distinction that is already reshaping upstream suppliers of metallization pastes, interconnect materials, and insulation films. BC's applicability extends beyond ground stations as well: in 2026, Meilan Airport completed a procurement of roughly 9.95 MWp of BC anti-glare modules, and multiple industrial rooftop projects have specified BC technical requirements, reinforcing the technology's dual presence across distributed and centralized segments.
What to Watch
The 6.5 GW tender wave does not yet make BC the market's default technology. TOPCon retains the overwhelming share of global module shipments, and BC's cost structure, patent density, and retrofitting complexity remain meaningful barriers to rapid follower entry. But the procurement behavior of state-owned enterprises carries outsized signaling value in China's solar market. When the most conservative buyers begin reserving dedicated BC sections in ground-station tenders and writing minimum efficiency thresholds into bid documents, the technology's transition from "differentiated option" to "procurement necessity" is no longer a forecast. It is a line item in the order book.
