The German-China partnership between Manz and China Energy Investment Group Co., Shanghai Electric Group Co and Future Science City, now known as NICE Solar Energy, have set a new CIGS thin-film module conversion efficiency record of 17.6 %.

The new total area efficiency record has been confirmed by TÜV Rheinland on a module surface area of 120 x 60 centimeters, using Manz production equipment at the NICE Solar Energy R&D facility in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany.

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NICE Solar Energy is currently building manufacturing operations in Chongqing in central China with an initial capacity of 306MW.

The forthcoming PV CellTech 2020 event in Penang, Malaysia on 10-11 March 2020 is to feature a special session topic on thin-film solar PV, and review the prospects of this technology being the subject of another round of global investments.

UPCOMING EVENT

PV CellTech USA 2025

7 October 2025

San Francisco Bay Area, USA

PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

UPCOMING EVENT

PV CellTech Europe 2026

10 March 2026

Frankfurt, Germany

The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

china, cigs thin film, germany, manz ag, nice solar energy co, pv celltech

Meyer Burger unlikely to survive under provisional debt moratorium

September 17, 2025

Struggling Swiss solar manufacturer Meyer Burger has formally entered into a debt moratorium, with the possibility of rescuing the entire group now looking unlikely.