By 2026, large-format 210mm silicon wafers and ultra-high-power modules (exceeding 640W) have become the dominant market standard. Yet, the drive for ever-higher power output has exacerbated a hidden technical conflict: the high currents associated with large-format cells lead to excessive current loads and surging internal resistance losses, placing greater engineering demands on cell-cutting strategies. The industry urgently needs a "Goldilocks" solution—one that maintains high power output and yields while minimizing losses.
I. The Current Dilemma: Half-Cut Technology Hits a Performance Ceiling in the Large-Wafer Era
The core logic behind photovoltaic (PV) module evolution has always centered on reducing current, minimizing losses, and mitigating risks. During the era of smaller wafers (182mm and below), the traditional half-cut (two-piece) technique was the industry standard; by cutting cells in half, manufacturers could effectively lower operating currents and suppress heat loss caused by internal resistance. However, the shift to large-format 210mm wafers has presented new challenges. Large-format cells can exhibit short-circuit currents of up to 20A; even after being cut in half, the remaining current remains high, leading to a significant increase in internal resistance losses. Persistently high operating currents not only erode the power generation gains of the modules but also trigger safety hazards such as inverter MPPT overload, junction box overheating, and diode thermal runaway. In short, the current-reduction capabilities of the half-cut approach are no longer sufficient for the large-wafer era, necessitating an evolution in cell-cutting logic.
II. More Cuts Don't Mean Better Performance: Half-Cut Falls Short, Quarter-Cut Is Excessive, and Third-Cut Is Just Right
A common industry misconception is that increasing the number of cuts automatically lowers internal resistance and improves performance. However, mass production and real-world operating conditions demonstrate that there is a distinct optimal threshold for cell cutting. Too few cuts are insufficient, while too many are excessive. While the half-cut method fails to adequately handle the demands of large-format wafers, the quarter-cut method presents significant engineering challenges at this stage. The third-cut (three-piece) approach strikes the perfect balance, offering the optimal solution that simultaneously addresses internal resistance losses, cutting losses, and production yields. Compared to half-cut technology, the current is reduced to one-third of the whole cell, and resistive heating losses drop to one-ninth; this fundamentally resolves the pain points of thermal runaway and high losses associated with high currents while significantly improving fault tolerance against shading. Compared to quarter-cut technology, it eliminates one cutting step, resulting in lower cutting losses, reduced manufacturing complexity, and more stable mass-production yields. In short, the "third-cut" (tri-cut) approach strikes the perfect balance between technical performance, mass production, and commercial implementation.
III. Systemic Barriers: From Theoretical Optimum to Mass-Producible Solution
While the industry recognizes the theoretical advantages of third-cut cells, implementation has proven difficult for most companies; the core challenge lies in balancing cutting losses against power generation gains and reconciling high-precision processing requirements with mass-production yields. Through breakthroughs in cell technology, manufacturing, and design, JA Solar has established a unique "triangular equilibrium" barrier, successfully achieving high-quality, large-scale mass production of third-cut modules. At the cell level, high-performance foundations offset cutting losses. Leveraging its proprietary high-efficiency Bycium+ 5.0 TOPCon cells—which achieve an open-circuit voltage of 748.6 mV—JA Solar utilizes superior intrinsic cell performance to provide ample margin to compensate for edge power losses caused by laser cutting. On the manufacturing front, micron-level precision ensures yield stability. Addressing the complexities of precision processing for third-cut cells, JA Solar implements micron-level control across the entire workflow—optimizing cutting paths, soldering processes, and string layouts—while strictly controlling breakage rates and micro-crack risks to maintain high yields despite the intricate process. At the design level, system integration amplifies overall advantages. JA Solar’s third-cut technology is not merely a single process upgrade but is deeply integrated with multiple flagship technologies: GFI zero-gap flexible interconnection increases the effective power-generating area by 1.82%; the "seamless full-screen" design maximizes light-harvesting space; and the CSE composite structure combined with a triangular distributed hole layout comprehensively enhances the module's resistance to mechanical loads, damp heat, and hot spots. From theory to mass production—with cells offsetting cutting losses, manufacturing ensuring yields, and system design amplifying value—JA Solar has transformed the third-cut concept into a tangible reality for power plant deployment through this "triangular equilibrium" breakthrough.
IV. Empirical Evidence: Independent Three-Circuit Architecture Leading in Power Generation, Cost, and Returns
The true merit of a technology is ultimately determined by empirical data and end-user returns. JA Solar’s three-cut cell architecture, featuring three independent circuits, ensures that shading affects only one circuit while the remaining two-thirds of the module continue to generate power normally. This eliminates the dilemma faced by half-cut modules, where partial shading causes significant power loss across a large area. Regarding power generation, empirical data from the Shanghai Fengxian Laboratory fully validates the shading resilience of the three-cut design. Power retention reaches 93.2% under minor shading—meaning it remains virtually unaffected—while the power generation gain per watt reaches 67.09% when one-third of the module is shaded. In extreme scenarios involving large-area shading along the long edge, the power retention advantage leads the industry by 22 percentage points. Comprehensive calculations indicate that, under shading conditions, total power generation increases by approximately 34% compared to conventional half-cut modules. The theoretical foundation is equally robust: operating current is reduced to one-third of a full-cell module, and resistive heating losses drop to one-ninth, fundamentally mitigating the risk of thermal runaway.
On the cost front, the mainstream DeepBlue 5.0 model delivers 670W of power with a conversion efficiency of 24.8%. For a 100MW power plant, this ultra-high power output directly reduces BOS (Balance of System) costs by approximately 0.05 RMB/W. The optimized circuit layout of the three-cut design allows junction boxes to be naturally centralized at the same height, significantly reducing cable length and lowering both material and labor costs.
Regarding returns, the combination of BOS cost savings and a 34% boost in power generation under shading conditions can shorten the project payback period by 6 to 8 months, significantly accelerating capital recovery.
In terms of reliability, the triangular, distributed layout of holes in the rear glass optimizes stress distribution, shifting from a linear ("—") to a triangular ("△") structure. The CSE technology has undergone DH3000h (damp-heat) testing, demonstrating a power degradation rate 2% lower than that of conventional modules. Furthermore, the technology offers comprehensive adaptability across all application scenarios, ranging from floating installations to desert environments.
V. Market Validation: Three-Cut Technology Goes Mainstream, Led by Industry Leaders
Photovoltaic encapsulation technology is evolving at a pace characterized by generational shifts every three to four years. The market share of full-cell modules plummeted from 60%–70% to 20%–30% in 2019, while half-cell modules took over the market with an 86.5% share by 2021. Today, multi-cut cell technology is following a similar trajectory: penetration stood at just 3%–6% in 2025 but rapidly surpassed 15% by the first half of 2026, marking the full transition of multi-cut technology into the stage of large-scale commercial application.
Within the multi-cut cell sector, technological pathways have diverged sharply. Designs involving four or more cuts have largely remained at the sample or small-batch pilot stage due to yield and cost constraints. In contrast, the three-cut design has emerged as the dominant pathway—boasting the largest market share and widest adoption—thanks to its superior overall cost-performance ratio; it is also the preferred technology for leading companies aiming to produce ultra-high-power modules exceeding 640W.
Theoretical feasibility does not equate to mass-production viability. While a three-cut design might appear to require only one additional cutting step compared to a half-cut design, it actually poses a comprehensive challenge regarding the cell substrate, production line processes, and system design; few companies have successfully achieved stable, large-scale delivery. JA Solar is one of the industry leaders to have fully integrated the three-cut technology chain and achieved mass production, serving as a primary driver of the current three-cut module market. Its proprietary Bycium+ 5.0 commercial TOPCon cell achieves an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 748.6mV—placing it in the top tier of commercial TOPCon technology. This high Voc provides ample power headroom to effectively offset edge recombination losses caused by laser cutting, thereby resolving the industry-wide pain point where three-cut designs typically suffered from power loss.
Leveraging inherent advantages at the cell level, JA Solar optimized the entire process flow—from cutting and stringing to encapsulation—to pioneer the mass production of three-cut modules. Its products are supplied in bulk to large-scale domestic ground-mounted power plants, mountainous agro-forestry PV projects, and key overseas installations. Unlike many peers, JA Solar has successfully aligned sample performance, mass-production yields, and real-world field performance, propelling three-cut technology from concept to large-scale commercialization and setting the industry standard for advanced cell-cutting technology.
The evolution of photovoltaic technology is never merely about stacking specifications. Through precise technical choices, solid breakthroughs in system integration, and tangible commercial value, JA Solar has established the "tri-cut" cell design as a reliable solution for the era of large-format (210mm), ultra-high-power modules.
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