Renewable power has come a long way since 1997. As Trina Solar celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we remain committed to our original vision as an R&D-driven company, with world-leading photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing operations, assured quality across all products and continually innovative applications in smart energy.

When Trina Solar was founded, solar was still a niche industry. Installed capacity of PV only began undergoing exponential expansion in the late 2000s: The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimated it averaged 68 percent year-over-year growth between 2006 and 2016. Trina Solar has been at the forefront of this surge from the very beginning.

A quick glance at Trina Solar, by the numbers

In our 20 years in business, Trina Solar has become the world's top PV module manufacturer:

• Through 2016, we shipped more than 23GW of capacity and achieved 10 percent global marketshare.
• Production capacity in 2016 was 6GW, across 8 sites leveraging localized products and respective geographic advantages.
• In 2015 alone, we led the world with 5.74GW worth of shipments, maintaining the worldwide lead for a second consecutive year.
• The following year, we were ranked the most bankable PV manufacturer among 50 module brands by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
• Since 2011, we have broken 16 world records, including an IBC cell efficiency of 24.13 percent in May 2017 and a poly module of 324.5W in Dec. 2014.

What is our recipe for this consistent success? It starts with the research and development processes behind products such as our Honey modules, which have been repeatedly recognized as record-setters in aperture efficiency, peak power, and real-world performance.

These innovations have enabled a diversified business scope serving residential and business customers. In addition to being a Tier 1 PV manufacturer, Trina Solar also offers systems integrations and solutions for energy management, storage and savings. Quality products are integral to the industry-leading business lines that helped Trina Solar be recognized by PricewaterhouseCoopers as the most sustainable PV company.

A look inside R&D and quality assurance at Trina Solar

Trina Solar has ensured sustainability and rapid technological advancement via the work performed in our top-flight facilities, such as the Trina State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology. Accredited in 2013 by China's Ministry of Science and Technology, this lab is staffed by an R&D team of 146 and has been pivotal in the receipt of multiple authorized patents, PV test certificates and distinctions such as the BlueSky Award from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

This site and others contribute to Trina Solar's clean production and comprehensive quality management operations. From 2012 to 2016, we reduced our water and power consumption, as well as our carbon footprint. Accordingly, we have achieved a better position from which to deliver reliable, high-quality and positive tolerance PV products.

With this level of efficiency and other benefits such as the world's first UL Client Data Test Program certified witness-free testing lab, we can ultimately offer 10-year product quality warranties and guarantee positive power output. We are committed to continuous improvement, from pre-sales all the way through integration of customer feedback from our survey and 24-hour hotline. The results speak for themselves: We received the highest scores in five of six categories tested in 2014 GTM Reliability Scoring.

What is on the horizon for Trina Solar?

As the 20th anniversary passes, Trina Solar will continue to focus on being a leading smart energy provider. Our multipronged approach will encompass ongoing improvements in R&D, downstream integrations (including development and financing), and expanded solution offerings in modules and storage.

Platforms such as Trina Switch and Trina Peak will be instrumental to this vision. We look forward to many more years of providing the innovative and dependable products our customers expect.