LONGi at 2025 WEF Annual Meeting: Solar Beating All Expectations

The 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, held in Davos, Switzerland, has once again brought together global leaders to address key challenges and opportunities. This year's theme, "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," has attracted nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries and regions. Among them were Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of LONGi, and Eric Luo, Vice President of LONGi, who shared the latest developments and future trends of the solar energy industry.

LONGi, a global solar technology leader, has been at the forefront of the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry's exponential growth. At the Ideas Hub session themed "Solar: Beating All Expectations," Zhong Baoshen highlighted the remarkable development of the photovoltaic industry, noting that it took 68 years to surpass the first terawatt, while the second terawatt was achieved in just two short years. He also predicted that the global installed capacity of solar PV could surpass 5,000 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, far exceeding the International Energy Agency's (IEA) forecast of 4,000 GW.



The cost of solar PV systems has dropped significantly, to approximately 1/820 of what it was in 1975. LONGi's relentless commitment to technological innovation has not only boosted conversion efficiency but also reduced the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). In 2024, LONGi set world records for monocrystalline silicon solar cell efficiency (27.30%) and crystalline silicon–perovskite tandem solar cell efficiency (34.6%). These advancements have significantly bolstered the global push towards achieving net-zero emissions.

LONGi's commitment to intelligent manufacturing has also played a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of solar PV systems. At the 2024 Davos Conference, LONGi's Jiaxing Base became the only "Lighthouse Factory" in the global photovoltaic industry. The company has extensively adopted new technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data, artificial intelligence, and digital twins, successfully implementing over 30 digital use cases. This has effectively propelled the photovoltaic industry's leap from "manufacturing" to "intelligent manufacturing."

Ten years ago, the energy sector was confronted with the so-called 'Energy Trilemma,' which posited that environmental protection, economic viability, and energy security could not be achieved simultaneously. However, rapid technological advancements, especially significant breakthroughs in the solar photovoltaic (PV) field, have completely transformed this situation. Today, solar PV has become one of the most reliable, affordable, and sustainable base energies in the global energy system.

While meeting the world's growing energy demands, solar PV has also created more possibilities for the widespread adoption of emerging green energies such as energy storage technologies, green hydrogen, green ammonia, and green methanol. The extensive application of solar energy has further propelled the global deep decarbonization process, making significant contributions to combating climate change and achieving global sustainable development goals.

Eric Luo, drawing on the current innovation trends in solar photovoltaics, believes that solar energy will become increasingly intertwined with technologies such as energy storage, transportation, architecture, and smart grids in the future. For instance, integrating solar energy with energy storage can effectively address the intermittency of photovoltaic power generation, ensuring a stable electricity supply. The fusion of solar energy and architecture has given rise to Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), which not only meets the energy needs of buildings but also feeds surplus power back into the grid, enabling more efficient energy utilization.

LONGi's achievements at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting underscore the solar PV industry's exponential growth and its potential to address the 'Energy Trilemma.' By providing a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy source, solar PV is transforming the global energy landscape and contributing to the global push towards net-zero emissions. As LONGi continues to innovate and lead the industry, the future of solar energy looks brighter than ever.