The world’s largest vertically integrated module manufacturer, Yingli Green Energy is also the most preferred PV brand globally, according to the recent PV Module Customer Insight Survey 2014 by IHS.

The survey fielded the opinions of 200 solar customers from the U.S., U.K., Germany and a host of other countries, asking respondents to rank certain aspects of solar performance, service, quality, price and reliability.

The results found that Yingli Solar performed solidly on all counts when buyers were making a PV module purchasing decision, scoring first in module reliability and second in module quality. In terms of affordable pricing, Yingli ranked third and, overall, the Chinese solar giant topped the chart, which comprised 75 of the world's leading solar brands.

"We are delighted to be ranked as the strongest solar PV module brand in 2013," said Yingli Green Energy chairman and CEO, Liansheng Miao. "The results arise from our continuous focus on technological leadership and ongoing efforts to reduce the overall cost of solar PV.

"As a global PV industry leader, we will continue to serve more customers around the world with superb product quality and convenient after-sales service by committing to our long-term mission to make solar PV accessible and affordable for every household."

Yingli Solar's visible presence at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil will certainly help the company’s cause, raising its profile in demographics beyond the usual solar-centric circles in which most PV companies operate.

Signs that Yingli Solar is ready to break out into mainstream consciousness are strong, with a recent survey by Huawei in Germany finding that the company is now the third-most recognizable Chinese company in Germany, behind electronic giants Lenovo and Huawei.

These findings were the result of a survey of 2,600 various individuals in Germany, including decision-makers in business, policy makers and random members of the public.

"Our strong position as a top PV module supplier in Germany underlines once more that our long-term investment in our brand, customer base, products and employees has paid dividends in demonstrating our commitment to the European market, even during challenging times," added Miao.

Having shipped 3 GW of solar modules last year, Yingli remains the largest solar supplier in the world, accounting for 8.3% of the market, according to IHS.