Shanghai, China – December 25, 2025 – In a monumental leap for photovoltaic (PV) technology, Trina Solar, a global leader in smart solar energy solutions, has once again shattered world records, simultaneously setting new heights for tandem solar cell efficiency and module power output. This dual achievement underscores the company's relentless drive to push the boundaries of solar energy conversion and accelerate the world's transition to a sustainable energy future.
The Breakthrough: Crossing the 32.5% and 865W Thresholds
This week, the Photovoltaic Science and Technology National Key Laboratory in China and Huairou Laboratory jointly announced a historic milestone with the first certified conversion efficiency of a perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem solar cell with an area larger than 1 m2 which was validated by the German Institute for Solar Energy Research (Fraunhofer ISE CalLab) with a record efficiency of 32.6%.
In conjunction with this accomplishment, TÜV SÜD has also certified an industrial standard sized module of 3.1 m² to deliver a peak power of 865 Watts using these innovative cells. Achieving over 32.5% in efficiency and 865 Watts in output power marks a first for perovskite/silicon tandem tech. This suggests that this technology is quickly moving toward being sold.
The Significance: Breaking the "Single-Junction Ceiling"
This breakthrough carries profound significance for the entire solar industry. Traditional single-junction crystalline silicon cells are approaching their theoretical efficiency limit, often referred to as an "unbreakable ceiling". Tandem technology, which layers a perovskite cell atop a silicon cell to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight, shatters this ceiling with a theoretical efficiency limit exceeding 43%.
Trina Solar's achievement demonstrates a successful translation of this high-potential theory into a tangible, large-area device. The company had previously made headlines by creating the world's first industrial-standard-sized module to break the 800W barrier. The rapid progression from 808W to 829W, then 841W, and now 865W within a year exemplifies what the industry has come to call the "Trina Speed" in technological innovation.
A Decade of Foresight and a Dual-Track Strategy
This record is not an isolated event but the fruit of a long-term, strategic vision. Trina Solar pioneered its perovskite tandem research as early as 2014, positioning itself at the forefront of next-generation PV technology.
The company's success is built on a dual-track technology strategy:
Leading the Present with TOPCon: While pioneering the future with tandems, Trina solidly leads the current mainstream market. Its proprietary i-TOPCon technology has been recognized as a global leader in mass-produced module efficiency, with its panels ranking among the world's top three for conversion efficiency.
Tandems Inventing a Future: The Company has created a large moat of intellectual property rights in the field of perovskite. They are the holder of 481 publicly available patents and have the most patents of any company in the world. The Company has also taken strategic steps to enhance its position as an industrial leader by acquiring an exclusive patent license in China from Oxford PV, the leader in tandem technology.
Beyond the Lab: Collaborative Ecosystem for Industrialization
Trina Solar recognizes that setting lab records is only the first step. The greater challenge and opportunity lie in commercialization. Dr. Chen Yifeng, Vice President of Trina Solar, emphasizes that reliability and standardized testing are the next critical hurdles for tandem technology.
To address this, the company is fostering a collaborative industrial ecosystem. It has established an innovation consortium with over a dozen upstream and downstream partners focused specifically on perovskite tandem batteries. This "national lab + corporate lab" model with Huairou Laboratory is a blueprint for tackling core technological challenges and bridging the gap from innovation to industry.
The Road Ahead: Reshaping the Global Energy Landscape
This latest achievement is more than a corporate milestone; it is a signal to the global energy market. As solar power becomes the cornerstone of new power systems worldwide, the value competition is shifting from cost per watt of hardware to the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and total system value. Higher efficiency modules like Trina's 865W tandem product directly translate to significantly more power generation per roof area or per hectare of land, dramatically reducing balance-of-system costs and LCOE.
Trina Solar, having successfully navigated multiple industry cycles, is now leveraging its innovation in both mainstream TOPCon and revolutionary tandem technologies to transition from a premier module manufacturer to a comprehensive "leader in smart energy solutions". The new records in efficiency and power are powerful catalysts for this transformation, promising to deliver greater value to customers and propel the global energy transition into a new, high-efficiency era.
About Trina Solar
Founded in 1997, Trina Solar is a global provider of smart energy solutions, providing its customers with innovative solutions, and has consistently set new world records for cell and module efficiency. The Company provides its customers around the world with an all-encompassing portfolio of integrated photovoltaic products, energy storage systems, and smart energy solutions suitable for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility customers.
