World's most efficient solar module ...
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany have succeeded in breaking their own module record through an optimised interconnection of the solar cells.
Their III-V germanium PV module achieves an efficiency of 34.4 percent. The solar cells were developed by Azur Space, while the anti-reflective coatings on the front glass were provided by temicon.
In early 2026, a Fraunhofer ISE research team working on the 'Vorfahrt' project built an 833 cm2 module with an efficiency of 34.2 percent — a new world record. The module consists of triple III-V germanium cells, which the research project coordinator, Azur SpaceSolar Power, further developed for the solar module. To achieve this, the manufacturer adapted its triple solar cell technology—originally optimized for space applications—to the terrestrial solar spectrum, enabling it to be produced in comparable quantities and on the same wafer formats.
A few months later, the project team has now surpassed this record. By using shingled matrix technology to interconnect the solar cells, they were able to increase the module’s efficiency to 34.4 percent.
For several years, Fraunhofer ISE has been collaborating with a German mechanical engineering partner to develop the interconnection of solar cells using shingle-matrix technology, which is also used in commercial modules manufactured in Germany. The shingle-matrix approach represents a fundamental departure from traditional photovoltaic module construction, in which solar cells are cut into narrow strips and then arranged in a shingle-like pattern — overlapping and offset from one another — and connected using electrically conductive adhesives (ECA).
This architecture enables direct cell-to-cell contact, thereby eliminating the need for traditional solder-coated copper ribbons. The key advantage: By eliminating cell interconnects, no active cell area is shaded. The resulting exceptionally high area utilisation was a key factor in achieving the record efficiency, according to the team.
