Press Releases 2026

Since 1986, the calibration laboratory at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has been measuring solar cells, and since 1991, photo-voltaic (PV) modules as well. Over the course of its forty-year history, it has calibrated the performance of thousands of solar cells and modules using a wide variety of technologies. To date, the “CalLab” has confirmed 152 record results. Sixty-six of these records were for PV modules—primarily silicon modules—while 86 referred to solar cells. The first record was set in 1992 by a mini silicon solar module with an efficiency of 16.4 percent, submitted by Deutsche Aerospace Aktiengesellschaft and featuring Bayer silicon wafers. The most recent record measured by CalLab confirmed that a module from AZUR SPACE, temicon and Fraunhofer ISE, with an efficiency of 34.4 percent, is currently the world’s most efficient solar module.

Together with partners from research and industry, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has modified the structure of battery electrodes so that the battery cells can store 10 to 15 percent more energy at the same weight. They achieved this by more than tripling the coating thickness of the battery electrodes—for example, in lithium-ion batteries—which simultaneously reduces the number of current collectors in the battery cell. The research team implemented the new electrode architecture in lithium-ion pouch cells manufactured using industry-standard processes. Furthermore, they successfully applied the concept to zinc-ion and sodium-ion battery cells.

The more than 23,000 large aircraft worldwide consume approximately 350 billion liters of fuel annually and account for about 3 percent of human-caused CO2 emissions. For long-haul flights over 4,000 km in particular, there is no alternative to liquid fuels, as only these provide a sufficiently high energy density. The development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) has now reached an important milestone: Following successful qualification by the international standardization organization ASTM, methanol has been recognized as an approved feedstock for the alcohol-to-jet production pathway. This means that in the future, methanol-to-jet blending components can be produced and mixed with at least 50 percent by volume of conventional kerosene to create a “drop-in” fuel—one that is fully compatible and can be used without any modifications to aircraft, engines, or existing infrastructure.

Organic solar modules score points for their flexibility, transparency, and a particularly good environmental footprint. Wavelength-dependent transparency, in particular, is a major strength of organic photovoltaics. Researchers at the University of Freiburg and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have now succeeded in building 14.5 by 14.5- centimeter organic PV modules with an average transparency of 43.2 percent and an efficiency of up to 9.26 percent. To achieve this, they used a combination of sputtering and slot-die coating – both processes that are industrially proven and highly scalable to large module areas.

The American company Source Energy and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have jointly developed a new product line for space satellites based on silicon solar cells. The solar arrays are using a special interconnection technology. Combined with inexpensive silicon solar cells, this enables modules at much lower costs compared to standard III-V technology that currently dominates the space sector. The automated production process, utilizing the M10 Solar Equipment GmbH’s Shingle-Matrix Stringer, allows Source Energy to delivery their products in less than six months from the time of order.

Heat pumps can replace existing gas and oil heating systems in multi-family houses when the entire system is designed to match the building. This is the core finding of the "LC R290" research project, in which the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE worked with a consortium of twenty companies from the heating industry and housing sector to develop typical solution concepts for heating system replacement. The project team used the refrigerant propane (R290) for this purpose.

The share of renewable energy in Germany’s net public electricity genera-tion—the actual mix of electricity coming from the outlet—stood at 61.8 percent in the first half of 2026. Wind power increased its generation by 12.2 percent compared to the previous year, while the electricity feed-in from photovoltaics reached a new record of 43.2 terawatt-hours. Strong generation from renewable sources ensured that electricity prices in the spring were largely decoupled from the rise in gas prices caused by the war in Iran. This is according to an analysis by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE based on data from the energy-charts.info platform.

Road freight transport accounts for 7.5 percent of Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is why the electrification of this sector is a key lever for climate protection. The expansion of a high-performance charging infrastructure is crucial for the acceptance and everyday usability of fully electric commercial vehicles. In the “NEFTON” project, a charging current of 3,000 amperes was achieved for the first time, paving the way for charging capacities of more than one megawatt in the future. To this end, in addition to a highly efficient, bidirectional megawatt charging station, components capable of handling charging currents of up to 3,000 amperes were developed and successfully tested. The consortium has summarized the results in a report.

Oxford PV and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have combined two high-efficiency technologies in a single photovoltaic module. To achieve this, they used perovskite-silicon solar cells from Oxford PV and connected them using the Matrix Shingle technology developed by Fraunhofer ISE. Oxford PV is a pioneer in perovskite-silicon tandem technology and was the first company to bring this next-generation solar technology into industrial production. The new module design will be on display for the first time at The Smarter E / Intersolar trade fair, taking place from 23 to 25 June 2026 in Munich. A rooftop module variant is on display at Fraunhofer ISE’s stand in hall A1.440, and a bifacial module for large-scale ground-mounted installations is shown at Oxford PV’s stand in hall A4.540.

Vehicles that generate their own solar power could make a significant contribution to the decarbonization of the transportation sector. Findings from the European research project SolarMoves suggest that so-called Vehicle Integrated Photovoltaics (VIPV)—solar modules integrated into vehicles—can significantly reduce electricity demand and the strain on the power grid. The study found that, in the best-case scenario, a passenger car in Central Europe can generate up to 55 percent of its annual energy needs on its own; in Southern Europe, this figure can reach up to 80 percent.