JinkoSolar, founded in 2006 in Shanghai, China, has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic solar panels. In particular, it offers bifacial, half-cell photovoltaic panels using Tiling Ribbon technology. They also offer batteries and complete solutions for photovoltaic production.
JinkoSolar photovoltaic technologies
JinkoSolar mobilizes 3 particularly interesting technologies in its solar panels:
- Bifacial panels, using heterojunction solar cells capture direct sunlight on their front face, just like monofacial panels, but in addition there is a rear face that captures light reflected or scattered by surrounding surfaces and the ground, through the “albedo” effect, increasing efficiency by up to 30%.
- Half-cells are photovoltaic cells cut in two, offering several advantages:
- By reducing cell size, internal electrical resistance is reduced, improving energy efficiency.
- The half-cell configuration reduces losses due to partial shading, as the current is divided between two parallel circuits. This makes the panel more resilient to cast shadows, such as those from trees or buildings.
- They are also more tolerant of micro-cracks, improving their durability and reliability.
- Tiling Ribbon (TR) technology is a gapless, solderless method of assembling photovoltaic cells. By using thin, flat conductive ribbons arranged in an overlapping fashion, creating a continuous electrical connection between the cells, several benefits are achieved: increased efficiency; improved durability; and a more uniform, aesthetic appearance. The Tiger series has another innovation: circular ribbons, which would further enhance the efficiency of the device.
JinkoSolar products
JinkoSolar produces solar panels and their components (waffles, cells and modules), as well as batteries and complete solutions. I won’t go into detail on the latter, as there is little on the site.
Photovoltaic solar panels
This is the company’s core business, and they offer several ranges of photovoltaic solar panels:
- JinkoSolar Tiger Series (Monocrystalline) : The Tiger Series consists of high-efficiency, high-power monocrystalline solar modules. These modules have a conversion efficiency of 20 to 21.6% and a maximum output of up to 590 W.
- JinkoSolar Cheetah Series (Monocrystalline): Cheetah solar modules are also monocrystalline, with an efficiency of over 20% and a maximum output of up to 395 W. This series is popular for its reliability and high performance.
- JinkoSolar Swan Bifacial Series (Monocrystalline): The Swan Bifacial Series is a range of bifacial monocrystalline solar modules. These panels produce energy on both sides, increasing energy output by up to 25%. They are ideal for installations requiring maximum energy production in limited space.
| Tiger Neo | JKM630N-78HL4 | 630 | 22,54% | 45 | 0,29 | 12 | 30 | 0,4 | 87,40% | Mono | 2,46×1,13 | |
| Tiger Neo | JKM625N-78HL4-BDV | 625 | 22.36% | 45 | 0,29 | 12 | 30 | 0,4 | 87,40% | Bi | 2,46×1,13 | |
| Tiger | JKM375N-6TL3-B | 375 | 21,53% | 45 | 0,34 | 25 | 30 | 0,4 | 87,40% | Mono | 1,69×1,03 | Multi bus-bar; |
| Tiger Pro | JKM5M-72HL4-BDVP | 555 | 21,48% | 45 | 0,35 | 12 | 30 | 0,45 | 84,95% | Bi | 2,278×1,134 | Multi bus-bar; |
| Tiger Pro | JKM560M-72HL4 | 560 | 21,68% | 45 | 12 | 25 | 25 | 0,55 | 84,80% | Mono | 2,278×1,134 | Multi bus-bar; half-cut |
| Cheetah | JKM345M-60H | 345 | 20,45% | 45 | 0,35 | 12 | 25 | ? | 83,10% | Mono | 1,684×1,002 | PERC ; Half-cut ;5 busbar |
They also offered an“Eagle” series, with polycrystalline solar modules, but this seems to have been discontinued.
JinkoSolar batteries
JinkoSolar offers three types of battery system (“Energy Storage System“, ESS):
- Residential: systems from 1kWh to 50kWh, designed to work in conjunction with the electrical grid, capable of 6000 cycles.
- C&I: systems from 50kWh to 1MWh, whose batteries can last 8000 cycles.
- “Utility (= for battery farms). A 20-foot, 35-ton container can store 3.44MWh and operate between -20 and 45°C.
The batteries are based on Lithium Iron Phosphate technology.
History and development
JinkoSolar was founded in 2006 by Xiande Li, Kangping Chen and Xianhua Li in Shanghai, China. Since its inception, the company has grown rapidly and expanded its global presence, with offices and production facilities in many countries.
In 2010, JinkoSolar went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), strengthening its financial position and market visibility. Over the years, the company has increased its solar module production capacity. In 2016, JinkoSolar reached a production capacity of 6.6 GW, placing it among the world’s leading solar panel manufacturers. In 2018, the company launched mass production of its Cheetah series monocrystalline solar modules, which have an efficiency of over 20%. In 2020, JinkoSolar produced 23 GW of solar modules. In total, the company is said to have delivered 130GW of solar panels. Its factories are located in China, Malaysia, the USA and Vietnam.
Today, JinkoSolar is recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic solar panels, thanks to its quality products and commitment to innovation and environmental sustainability.