Efficiency remains the solar industry’s most powerful lever. Each gain in cell efficiency increases power density, reducing raw material and bill of materials (BOM) consumption and indirectly lowering costs. With module prices under intense pressure and manufacturers fighting to protect margins, higher efficiency has become the clearest way to stand out and keep reducing solar manufacturing costs.
Spanning three consecutive weeks in November 2026, the TaiyangNews High-Efficiency Solar Technologies 2026 Online Conference will focus on the latest advances in TOPCon and back-contact (BC) technologies, with a special focus on next-generation PV and space solar. From improving established production processes to exploring new cell concepts and demanding applications beyond Earth, the event will examine pathways to higher efficiency, competitive manufacturing, and reliable performance.
On November 11, 2026, on Day 1 of the conference, Kinyang Zou, Product Manager at DMEGC Solar, will be sharing his insights on the company’s HDS+ solution – its dual benefits in module efficiency and reliability.
Registration is free and can be done here.
The 300 MW solar-grassland pilot project developed by Inner Mongolia Guoyun Mingsheng New Energy Co., Ltd. in Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, has achieved full-capacity grid connection of its PV facilities.
According to Baotou Power Supply Company, a subsidiary of Inner Mongolia Power Group, the RMB 1.05 billion project includes a 220 kV step-up substation and a 45 MW/90 MWh energy storage system (ESS). Once fully operational, it is expected to generate approximately 480 million kWh annually.
The project combines PV generation with grassland restoration. Its mounting structures are raised about 2 m to allow grass to grow underneath, while drought- and cold-tolerant grass varieties are being introduced as part of restoration work covering around 3.61 km² of degraded desert grassland.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), along with four other government agencies, has issued the Action Plan for Building a Carbon Footprint Standards System for Key Products (2026-2028), targeting more than 100 national product carbon footprint standards by 2028. The plan also calls for aligning some standards with international requirements.
The plan’s scope covers solar PV and concentrated solar power (CSP) generation, wind power, energy storage, and related manufactured products. GB/T 47652-2026, Greenhouse gases – Quantification method and requirements for carbon footprint of products – Photovoltaic power generation, has already been published, while a national standard for PV module carbon footprint quantification is awaiting approval. A polysilicon standard is scheduled for completion in 2027. Standards for energy storage batteries and electrochemical energy storage plants are also included in the work plan. The plan further calls for studying how renewable energy green electricity certificates could be incorporated into product carbon footprint accounting.
Ningxia-based renewable energy developer Ningxia Guoyun New Energy has announced that its subsidiaries have completed major equipment installation, commissioning, and grid connection at two independent energy storage plants: the 320 MW/640 MWh Gaoshawo project in Yanchi County, Wuzhong, and the 240 MW/480 MWh Majiatan project in Lingwu.
The two projects represent a combined investment of RMB 865 million and are associated with the company’s 920 MW Gaoshawo and 1 GW Majiatan PV developments, respectively. They are expected to provide peak shaving and frequency regulation, support renewable energy integration, and participate in electricity market trading.
Hunan’s provincial development and reform commission has released the province’s renewable energy development plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), targeting total renewable energy capacity of 85.9 GW by 2030, up about 42% from 60.42 GW in 2025. Solar capacity is targeted at 37 GW, while wind and pumped-storage capacity are expected to reach 22 GW and 8 GW, respectively.
The plan envisages more than 9.26 GW of new solar projects and 8.83 GW of new wind projects during 2026-2030, alongside around 1.5 GW of distributed solar additions annually. Hunan will also promote grid-forming renewable energy projects, virtual power plants (VPPs), and integrated source-grid-load-storage systems, while exploring capacity-pricing mechanisms for pumped hydro and new-type energy storage.
Hunan recently launched its 2026 mechanism price auction for wind and solar projects, covering 2.286 TWh (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Guangxi energy authorities have published the proposed results of the 2027 mechanism price auction for incremental renewable energy projects. The auction selected 57 wind projects and 8,775 solar projects, covering about 9.97 TWh of electricity under the mechanism.
The selected solar projects comprise 14 utility-scale and 8,761 distributed projects, with a proposed mechanism price of RMB 0.305/kWh and an eligible electricity volume of 1.395 TWh. Wind projects have a proposed mechanism price of RMB 0.359/kWh and an eligible electricity volume of 8.573 TWh. The mechanism prices will apply for 12 years, while the electricity volume covered for each project will initially be capped at 80% of its total electricity fed into the grid.
Last month, nine electricity retailers in Guangxi, including subsidiaries of CHN Energy and CR Power, jointly petitioned the regional government over mounting power-market losses and sought revised settlement rules (see China Solar PV News Snippets).