Trina Solar’s Chairman Gao Jifan delivered a provocative assessment of current photovoltaic technology trends at the 2025 SNEC conference, dismissing the ongoing competition between TOPCon, BC and HJT technologies as essentially meaningless. He argued these three N-type variants offer comparable performance with only situational advantages, while their continued debate risks exacerbating industry overcapacity through misguided investments. Gao’s comments challenge the prevailing technology roadmap embraced by most Chinese solar manufacturers.
The solar executive positioned perovskite tandem cells as the industry’s true technological watershed, announcing Trina Solar would establish a pilot production line this year. This next-generation technology promises to boost module efficiency by over four percentage points compared to conventional crystalline silicon, potentially revolutionizing solar power economics. Gao’s bold declaration suggests perovskite integration could soon make current technology debates obsolete.
Gao’s remarks reflect growing concerns about China’s PV manufacturing overcapacity, as his criticism of current technology competition appears aimed at curbing further production expansion. By shifting focus to perovskite advancements, Trina Solar seeks to establish technological leadership in what it views as the industry’s next phase, while potentially discouraging rivals from additional capacity investments in existing technologies.
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