U.S. based Hanergy subsidiary Miasolé has achieved a record 17.44% conversion efficiency for a large area flexible CIGS module. The record has been confirmed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

First-quarter figures from German engineering association the VDMA showed that, while orders picked up after a slow end to last year, almost all PV production equipment produced in the country is shipped abroad, with China the leading destination.

China’s slowdown in installations last year was more than made up for by expansion elsewhere, according to IHS Markit. The news comes amid increasing market fragmentation – with the biggest engineering, procurement and construction business boasting less than 3% market share – and internationalization, with almost half of the top 15 companies operating across more than one region.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a device they say could “turbocharge” a single-junction silicon PV cell, pushing the technology beyond its theoretical limit to efficiencies of 35% and higher.

The developer has announced a major portfolio acquisition. London-based Lightsource says it has acquired 1.9 GW of solar generation capacity in various stages of development from Brazilian developer Enerlife.

Several new concepts in lithium-ion storage technology have the potential to greatly the increase the energy capacity of batteries. Among them are lithium metal anodes, which could potentially increase energy density by more than 50%. With a newly optimized electrolyte, scientists at the University of California, San Diego have taken another step toward making the idea a commercial reality.

The British-German perovskite startup has closed series D funding with another £34 million to bring the money raised in the round to £65 million.

Chinese module maker Trina Solar has announced a partnership with the distributor to bring its new mono PERC modules to Brazil’s fast-growing distributed generation market.

Researchers at Denmark’s Aarhus University have created a modelling tool which they say, by taking into account weather data and the historical performance of PV installations, can precisely predict the output of a solar plant at any location. The tool, say the academics, will help with the planning of new installations and the integration of PV into energy systems.

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S. used x-ray imaging to observe cracks forming in a solid state lithium battery, a discovery they say changes the understanding of performance of solid state batteries and which could lead to more durable systems.