Solar cell and module maker Runergy has announced that an n-type TOPCon-SMBB half-cell module (2,382 × 1,134 mm standard size) developed in-house has achieved a front-side power output of 672.7 W and a conversion efficiency of 24.92%. The result has been certified by TÜV Rheinland, which the company claims is a new record for power and efficiency among similar products. Runergy attributed the achievement to several innovations, including textured surface and anti-reflective coating optimization, a doped ultra-thin rear poly layer, low-concentration boron diffusion, low-resistivity materials, and edge passivation technology.
Currently, Runergy is represented by a 22.5% efficiency TOPCon module in the TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES listing (see TOP SOLAR MODULES Listing – August 2025).
State-owned energy developer China Energy Engineering Corporation (Energy China) has released a tender for centralized procurement of solar PV modules, with an estimated total volume of 17 GW. Divided into 8 lots, the tender covers 182 mm TOPCon modules, 210 mm TOPCon modules, HJT modules, and BC modules. While specific procurement quantities for each type were not disclosed, the announcement outlines bidder requirements, such as historical sales records and product certifications. Bidding is scheduled to open in October 2025.
China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has fully grid-connected its 1 GW ‘CSP + PV’ project in Hami, Xinjiang. The plant is expected to generate an average of 2.067 billion kWh annually. According to CTG, it is the largest linear Fresnel concentrated solar power (CSP) hybrid demonstration project in China, adopting a multi-energy complementary model.
The project uses approximately 260,000 reflectors to concentrate sunlight, which heats molten salt stored in thermal tanks to a temperature of 550°C. The heat released from the molten salt is used to produce high-pressure steam that drives a turbine generator to generate electricity. The use of CSP enables 8 hours of stable storage-based power generation, helping effectively mitigate PV intermittency.
In August, China Datang started operations at the ‘country’s first’ demonstration base for integrated PV and CSP development in the desert-Gobi-wasteland region (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
China recently launched a satellite to test satellite internet technology, which adopts a fully flexible roll-up solar array developed by UNIWATT, a subsidiary of the well-known wind turbine manufacturer Mingyang Group. The company stated that the array is based on a fully self-reliant technology platform, using super-elastic memory composite deployment mechanisms and flexible thin-film solar cells. It offers a simple structure, a lightweight design, high deployment reliability, and a compact storage ratio, which the company claims to be the world’s first use of such technology in satellites.
Last month, perovskite manufacturer Perovskite Energy secured a bid for a project that aims to establish a MW-scale demonstration line for lightweight perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem modules for application in satellites (see China Solar PV News Snippets).