For years, the photovoltaic industry focused on one primary objective: increasing module efficiency. Today, however, project economics depend on a much broader equation. Developers must maximize energy production under increasingly challenging site conditions, optimize land use, integrate battery storage and ensure long-term operational reliability.
At Intersolar Europe 2026, LONGi presented this broader vision through both its latest photovoltaic technology and its newly launched integrated battery energy storage portfolio. Speaking with Review Energy, David Garmendia, CTO of LONGi Europe, explained that reducing project costs now requires optimizing every stage of a renewable asset rather than improving individual components in isolation.
“The objective is no longer only higher efficiency,” Garmendia said. “It’s about reducing the overall cost of energy while delivering products that remain reliable over 30 years of operation.”
Higher efficiency—and more usable land
One of the company’s main product launches at the exhibition was the new Hi-MO 9 Prime module, the latest evolution of LONGi’s Back Contact technology.
According to Garmendia, the redesign increases the active surface available to capture sunlight, allowing the module to reach up to 680 W with an efficiency exceeding 25%.
Beyond the headline efficiency figures, he argues that the real benefit lies in improving project economics. “Higher efficiency allows us to install more capacity on exactly the same piece of land,” he explained. “Compared with a conventional 650 W module, developers can install around 4.6% more power on the same site.“
The module also maintains one of the key advantages of Back Contact technology: improved tolerance to partial shading, allowing tighter row spacing while helping developers reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE).
LONGi has also introduced manufacturing improvements aimed at increasing long-term reliability, including enhanced cell interconnection designed to reduce thermal stress, minimize hotspot formation and lower the risk of microcracks over the module’s lifetime.
Designing modules for different environments
As suitable land for large-scale photovoltaic projects becomes increasingly scarce across Europe, Garmendia believes developers are being forced to build plants in far more demanding environments than in previous years.
Rather than relying on a single universal module, LONGi has developed a portfolio of “scenario modules” tailored to specific operating conditions.
Among the products showcased at Intersolar Europe were modules designed for regions exposed to heavy hail, strong winds and snow loads, as well as solutions developed for dusty environments where accumulated sand can reduce energy production and increase thermal stress.
“The most valuable asset for our customers is no longer only the module—it’s the land,” he said. “As projects move into more complex locations, we need products specifically designed for those conditions.”
Additional products within the company’s scenario portfolio target desert environments requiring lower carbon footprints and offshore or coastal applications where corrosion resistance becomes increasingly important.
Solar and storage designed together
Alongside its photovoltaic innovations, LONGi also used Intersolar Europe to present LONGi ONE, its fully integrated battery energy storage platform.
Rather than treating photovoltaic generation and battery storage as separate technologies, Garmendia says the company now develops both systems together.
“Standalone photovoltaic plants are becoming the exception rather than the rule,” he explained. “To remain profitable, solar increasingly needs to operate together with storage.”
This integrated philosophy—what LONGi refers to internally as “One Stack”—aims to optimize the interaction between PV generation and battery operation from the design stage.
The company complements this hardware integration with its proprietary energy management software, which determines when batteries should charge or discharge based on plant operation and market conditions.
According to Garmendia, intelligent software has become just as important as hardware performance: “Today’s value doesn’t come only from better equipment. It also comes from knowing how to operate the entire system more intelligently.”
LONGi also highlighted the fact that many of the critical technologies inside its battery systems—including its Battery Management System (BMS)—have been developed internally, allowing tighter integration between hardware, software and safety systems.
Local support becomes part of the value proposition
Beyond technology itself, LONGi believes service infrastructure is becoming increasingly important as storage projects grow in size and complexity.
Earlier this year, the company opened its European Center of Excellence in Madrid, providing local engineering support, commissioning services and long-term after-sales assistance for customers across Southern Europe.
For Garmendia, this local presence represents an essential part of LONGi’s integrated strategy. “Hardware matters. Software matters. But being close to customers throughout the entire life of the project matters just as much,” he said.
Spain is emerging as one of Europe’s fastest-growing battery storage markets, driven by increasing periods of negative electricity prices and the growing need for flexible generation.
“We’re seeing developers move toward the next stage of photovoltaic assets,” Garmendia concluded. “It’s no longer about installing more solar capacity—it’s about operating that capacity more intelligently with storage.”
Sé el primero en comentar…

source