Modules

Solar modules

The key component of a solar power station, which converts light to DC electricity

First Solar modules march across the desert as construction of the Agua Caliente Solar Project progresses

Leading suppliers of modules for utility-scale solar power plant

The most recently published list of leading producers with identified solar module supply to utility-scale solar power stations is shown below.

The primary generating units

We list the supplier of the solar modules because this is the key sub-system - the one that converts light into electricity.

Most flat panel solar modules applied to utility-scale projects are the same as those used for other applications, though a few are tailored for ground mounted or large-scale applications.

A small minority of projects, however, use concentrator panels, which are only suitable for large-scale free-field applications.

The EPC contractor will normally select the supplier and procure the solar modules.

Basis of the data used

The data used for the analysis and the table on the left is derived from operating projects of 4MWAC+ on the Wiki-Solar Database, according to these criteria.

The solar module producer is known for some, but not all, of the projects on Wiki-Solar's database. Therefore, as noted below the table some figures will be under-stated. However, several of the leading participants confirm details of their portfolio to Wiki-Solar (and you can too - see the left of this page).

Some suppliers in this list also fulfil other roles in utility-scale projects, as developers and/or EPC contractors for example. The figures quoted here apply only to their solar module supplies. Where companies have maps, however, these will show all their projects.