Leading vertically integrated PV manufacturer LONGi has reported a conversion efficiency of 28.13% for its hybrid interdigitated back-contact (HIBC) solar cell, certified by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), surpassing its previous record of 28.04% set in January 2026.
A module based on the same HIBC technology achieved 26.4% efficiency, verified by the US National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, previously NREL), setting a new record for crystalline silicon PV modules and improving on the company’s previous 26% level.
LONGi’s EcoLife series modules, based on HIBC technology, ranked first in TaiyangNews’ April 2026 TOP SOLAR MODULES listing, with a mass-production efficiency of 25% (see TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing – April 2026).
Work on BC technology is picking up pace, with Trinasolar recently announcing it has achieved 28% efficiency with its TOPCon-compatible hybrid back-contact (THBC) solar cell (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
PV inverter and energy storage solution provider Sungrow has updated its application for an H-share listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, following its initial submission in October 2025.
The filing outlines plans to invest proceeds in overseas manufacturing, including a Poland base with planned capacity of 22.5 GWh for energy storage systems (ESS) and 20 GW for inverters, and an Egypt facility targeting 10 GWh of storage capacity.
Sungrow reported revenues of RMB 88.91 billion and net profit of RMB 13.53 billion for FY2025. Cumulative ESS shipments exceeded 93 GWh by year-end (see Sungrow’s FY2025 Revenue Up 14.6% On ESS Growth Surge).
Clean energy developer CGN New Energy has issued a framework tender to procure 8.4 GW of PV modules for delivery in 2026.
The tender is divided into 7 lots of 1.2 GW each, and will support CGN New Energy’s projects nationwide. While the tender does not specify technologies, it calls for modules with a minimum power output of 625 W.
Hubei Province has released its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), targeting 80 GW of new energy capacity and 17 GW of energy storage by 2030, with renewables accounting for 70% of total installed capacity.
The plan supports distributed PV and decentralized wind, as well as integrated energy bases that combine wind, solar, hydro, thermal, and storage. It also promotes pumped hydro and new storage technologies, including behind-the-meter storage, vanadium redox flow batteries, and solid-state batteries, and encourages models such as PV-storage-charging and direct green power supply.
In March, Hubei announced 13 renewable energy pilot projects with a combined capacity of 1.3 GW, including 5 solar projects totaling 500 MW (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Shandong Province has released draft revisions to its competitive allocation rules for new energy projects, easing requirements for non-residential distributed PV.
Under the proposal, rooftop PV projects (380 V-10 kV, ≤6 MW) connected by May 31, 2026, can participate in 2026 tariff bidding even if inverter communication functions are not fully compliant. This is a departure from a 2025 provincial policy that would have excluded non-residential distributed PV projects from such bidding starting in 2027.
The draft also states that energy storage will not be mandated as a condition for approval, grid connection, or operation of wind and PV projects commissioned on or after June 1, 2026.