TÜV Rheinland Hosts the 12th Solar & ESS Summit in Suzhou
On September 3, TÜV Rheinland, the international independent third-party testing, inspection, and certification organization, hosted the 12th Solar & Energy Storage System (ESS) Summit and the “All Quality Matters” Awards Ceremony in Suzhou. Nearly 200 industry leaders, experts, and scholars from across the solar and energy storage sectors gathered to discuss opportunities and challenges arising from the integration of solar and storage technologies and the convergence of computing and power systems. Through keynote speeches, white paper launches, executive forums, award presentations, and media exchanges, participants explored pathways to promote high-quality development across the industry value chain.
In his keynote address, Li Junfeng, Executive Director of the China Energy Research Society, acknowledged the remarkable achievements of China’s solar and energy storage industry while emphasizing the importance of maintaining quality standards amid pricing pressures and market fluctuations. He urged industry stakeholders to remain strategically focused and committed to long-term, high-quality development despite cyclical market challenges.
Frank Holzmann, Global Senior Vice President of Solar and Commercial Products at TÜV Rheinland, reflected on the industry’s journey from technological infancy to large-scale deployment. He noted that for more than four decades, TÜV Rheinland has remained committed to safeguarding safety and quality, establishing industry benchmarks, and fostering knowledge-sharing platforms. Looking ahead, TÜV Rheinland will continue serving as a safety guardian and quality enabler, working together with industry partners to build a safer, more reliable, and sustainable energy future.
Wang Ziyue, Head of China Research at BloombergNEF, delivered a presentation titled “Beyond Market Cycles: The Next Chapter of the Global Solar and Energy Storage Market.” He analyzed global market trends and highlighted that, despite short-term fluctuations and adjustments, the sector remains a promising arena for long-term, high-quality growth.
White Paper Addresses High Shares of Renewable Energy Grid Integration Challenges
As power systems worldwide undergo profound structural transformation, the share of renewable energy generation continues to rise while emerging electricity loads, including electric vehicles and data centers, expand rapidly. Against this backdrop, grid-forming technologies are becoming increasingly critical for ensuring system stability and enabling the reliable integration of high shares of renewable energy.
To support this transition, TÜV Rheinland officially released the White Paper on Global Renewable Energy Grid Integration and Grid-Forming Technologies. The white paper provides a comprehensive overview of renewable energy development and grid structures across major global markets, examines low-voltage and medium-/high-voltage grid connection standards, and presents detailed requirements for grid-forming control technologies. It also outlines testing frameworks covering key capabilities such as voltage-source characteristics, virtual inertia, and black-start functionality. Furthermore, the publication offers practical guidance on RMS and EMT simulation models, helping equipment manufacturers and project developers navigate technology selection, compliance requirements, and validation processes.
At the event, TÜV Rheinland also released the 2026 Key Measurement Data for Accurate PV Module Characterization. Based on extensive testing data, the report analyzes the performance of major photovoltaic technologies, including PERC, TOPCon, SHJ, and BC, across efficiency, bifaciality, temperature coefficients, low-light response, and reliability metrics. The findings highlight emerging industry trends, including the slowing efficiency gains of crystalline silicon technologies and ongoing stability challenges for perovskite commercialization, offering valuable insights for the industry’s shift from an efficiency-driven competition to a value-driven market.
Winners of the 2026 “All Quality Matters” Awards Announced
A highlight of the summit was the announcement of the winners of the 2026 “All Quality Matters” Awards. This year’s evaluation covered three categories: photovoltaic products, solar-storage-charging products, and power station and supply chain services. Products were assessed based on five key dimensions: safety, performance, reliability, environmental adaptability, and overall quality. A new award category, Outstanding Integrated Smart Energy and Carbon Project Award, was also introduced to recognize excellence in comprehensive energy and carbon management solutions. Following a rigorous assessment process, 23 companies received awards and industry recognition.
TÜV Rheinland presented the Solar Honorary Award to Shi Dinghuan, former Counselor of the State Council, former President of the China Renewable Energy Society, and Chairman of the Expert Committee of the Energy Investment Professional Committee (EIPC) at the Investment Association of China, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of China’s photovoltaic industry.
Innovation awards were also presented to several leading companies for breakthroughs in technology, engineering, applications, and business models:
WG Energy Technology Co., Ltd. received the Solid-State Transformer Technology Innovation Award.
Beijing HyperStrong Technology Co., Ltd. received the High-Voltage Cascaded Energy Storage Technology Innovation Award.
Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. received the Grid-Forming Energy Storage Technology Innovation Award.
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. received the PV Module Metallization Technology Innovation Award.
Industrial Securities Co., Ltd. received the Solar & Storage REITs Innovation Award.
Building Supply Chain Resilience for a New Industry Ecosystem
A leadership forum themed “Crossing Mountains and Seas, Advancing Steadily: Solar-Storage Integration, Computing-Power Synergy, and High-Quality Development of Resilient Supply Chains in a New Industry Ecosystem” brought together industry experts to discuss deepening solar-storage integration, opportunities created by emerging loads such as data centers, and strategies for strengthening resilience amid global supply chain restructuring. Participants shared perspectives on technology evolution, global compliance requirements, and future market opportunities.
Li Weichun, Senior Vice President of Greater China Solar & Commercial Products and Global Senior Vice President of Power Electronics at TÜV Rheinland, noted in closing remarks that the global solar and energy storage industry is transitioning from homogenized, price-driven competition toward innovation-driven value creation. He emphasized that TÜV Rheinland will continue leveraging its global service network to transform evolving technical requirements into practical testing, validation, and certification solutions, helping companies identify risks earlier, accelerate market access, and seize new opportunities arising from solar-storage integration and computing-power synergy while supporting the global energy transition.