The 16th edition of the “International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic” (ITRPV) is now available for download. The current edition was compiled with the support of “49 international expert institutions along the PV value chain” and published by the Photovoltaic Production Equipment department of the VDMA German Engineering Federation.
Accordingly, the global market for solar modules reached a volume of 703 gigawatts (GW) in 2024, while the global production capacity for crystalline solar cells and modules amounted to 1,500 GW at the end of the year. The roadmap shows significant price reductions, with the weighted average spot market price for crystalline silicon modules down 33% compared to the end of 2023. The report tracks the learning curve – the average selling price of PV modules as a function of cumulative shipments – and shows a learning rate of 25.6% from 1976 to 2024.
One trend that continues to dominate is the switch to larger cell formats. It is expected that the G12 (i.e. with a wafer side length of 210 mm) and G12(R) formats will account for around 75 percent of the market by 2035. According to the gigawatt manufacturers who took part in the study, around 70 percent will be n-type wafers, overtaking p-type materials. This is due to the expansion of n-type TOPCon technology, which is dominating the market for the first time and overtaking p-type PERC. The results of the study show that mass-produced tandem silicon cells are expected to have a double-digit market share in ten years’ time.
© PHOTON
