Last year, South Korea’s Qcells set a world record for the efficiency of large-area silicon solar cells, a breakthrough that promised to significantly reduce the size and cost of solar power projects. The company, owned by South Korean giant Hanwha Corp, achieved a conversion efficiency of 28.6% by combining a perovskite light-absorbing top layer with a silicon bottom layer, allowing the cell to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight.

For comparison, most advanced commercial solar panels operate at efficiencies between 21% and 23%, meaning they convert roughly one-fifth of incoming sunlight into usable electricity. More importantly, Qcells achieved its record on a full-size industrial solar cell designed for mass production rather than a small laboratory prototype.

China has now reclaimed the title of the world’s most efficient solar panel manufacturer. Leading Chinese solar giant Trina Solar officially announced a new world record for solar module efficiency, reaching a conversion rate of 29.2% while delivering a record-breaking power output of 907 watts.

A new generation of tandem solar technology

This achievement was made using a tandem perovskite-silicon design, where two different materials are stacked together to capture a wider range of solar radiation. The perovskite layer absorbs higher-energy wavelengths, while the silicon layer captures light that would otherwise pass through unused, enabling the cell to convert a larger share of sunlight into electricity.

Trina Solar also developed a new interconnection architecture between the two layers, reducing energy losses and improving current flow throughout the cell, helping push efficiency to unprecedented levels.

Like the previous Qcells record, Trina’s breakthrough was achieved using industry-standard 210-millimeter wafers rather than small laboratory cells. The company reported efficiencies of 29.2% for full-size cells and 32.6% for half-cut cells, demonstrating the technology’s suitability for large-scale commercial manufacturing.

The resulting module produced 907 watts of power, a major leap from Trina’s previous record of 808 watts and well above the output of conventional solar panels currently available on the market.

From laboratory breakthroughs to commercial reality

The achievement marks another step toward large-scale commercialization of perovskite technology. While researchers have delivered impressive laboratory efficiency records for years, the real challenge has been replicating those results on full-size modules suitable for industrial production.

Traditional silicon solar cells are approaching their practical efficiency limits. Tandem perovskite-silicon designs offer a new pathway beyond those limits by capturing a broader spectrum of sunlight and generating more electricity from the same panel area.

The industry’s focus has now shifted toward scaling manufacturing and ensuring that these cells can operate reliably for decades under real-world conditions.

Why perovskite matters

Perovskite refers to a class of materials that share a distinctive crystal structure. Solar cells built with these materials can convert a broader range of sunlight into electricity than conventional silicon cells.

Perovskite can also be layered directly onto traditional silicon cells in so-called tandem designs, allowing the technology to absorb wavelengths that silicon cannot effectively utilize. As a result, the theoretical efficiency ceiling can exceed 40%.

Another advantage is flexibility. Perovskite can be applied in ultra-thin layers, making it possible to print or spray the material onto flexible films, windows, and even curved building surfaces.

Unlike silicon, which requires energy-intensive manufacturing processes and extremely high temperatures, perovskite materials can be processed into printable inks at room temperature, potentially lowering production costs substantially.

The remaining challenge

Despite growing commercial progress, perovskite technology has not yet become widely available for residential rooftop installations. One of the biggest obstacles remains durability, as pure perovskite cells tend to degrade relatively quickly when exposed to moisture, heat, and ultraviolet radiation.

Nevertheless, several companies have already begun commercial deployment.

California-based Caelux has developed its Active Glass technology, allowing manufacturers to produce tandem modules using existing production lines without redesigning silicon cells or making major factory modifications.

Meanwhile, UK-based Oxford PV has already started shipping solar modules with efficiencies reaching 24.5% to utility-scale customers across the United States and Europe.

As efficiency records continue to rise, the race is no longer about proving that perovskite works. The next battle will be determining which companies can manufacture it at scale while delivering the long-term durability required to transform the global solar industry.

The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday that it had left interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, in line with market expectations, following the first policy meeting chaired by Kevin Warsh as head of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Major Wall Street indexes posted modest gains in choppy trading on Wednesday, as semiconductor stocks rebounded while investors awaited the first monetary policy decision from the Federal Reserve under new Chair Kevin Warsh.

Shares of several high-valuation chipmakers advanced, including Broadcom, Micron Technology, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Intel, with gains ranging from 2.5% to 4%.

The S&P 500 technology sector rose 1.2%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index jumped 3.5%.

Focus turns to the Fed decision and Warsh’s first press conference

Investor attention is firmly centered on the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Markets widely expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged within the 3.50%–3.75% range, as policymakers continue to assess inflation risks linked to elevated energy costs during the Middle East conflict.

Investors are also closely watching Kevin Warsh’s first press conference as Fed Chair for clues about his views on inflation, labor market conditions, and the outlook for the US economy.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note climbed to 4.43%.

Jeff Buchbinder, Chief Equity Strategist at LPL Financial, said the last thing Warsh wants is a sharp surge in the 10-year Treasury yield, adding that keeping yields below the 4.5% level remains important for markets, particularly after the recent decline in oil prices.

He added that any meaningful shift in monetary policy would likely be gradual and require broad agreement among Federal Open Market Committee members.

Strong retail sales data

Economic data showed US retail sales rose 0.9% in May, beating economists’ expectations for a 0.5% increase.

The gain followed an upward revision to April’s reading, which now showed a 0.4% increase.

Despite the strong report, analysts believe consumer spending could slow in coming months as the boost from tax refunds fades and living costs remain elevated.

According to CME FedWatch data, traders expect the Fed to keep interest rates unchanged for most of the year, with roughly a 43% probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike in December.

Indexes advance as chip stocks outperform

As of 9:41 a.m. New York time:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 77.71 points, or 0.15%, to 52,070.81.

The S&P 500 gained 8.14 points, or 0.11%, to 7,519.49.

The Nasdaq Composite advanced 89.53 points, or 0.35%, to 26,466.52.

US equities have partially recovered from the selloff seen in early June, while the Dow Jones has continued to post record highs over the past two sessions, supported by the resilience of the US economy, broader market participation beyond technology stocks, and lower oil prices.

Oil near three-month lows as SpaceX extends gains

Oil prices remained near three-month lows, supported by expectations that the temporary US-Iran agreement could allow oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz to resume.

However, uncertainty persists after President Donald Trump stated that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is not yet final and warned that military operations could resume if he is dissatisfied with the agreement.

In the stock market, SpaceX shares rose 1.6% after the company surpassed Amazon in market capitalization to become the fifth-largest US company by market value.

Meanwhile, CME Group shares fell nearly 5% after the exchange operator announced that CEO Terry Duffy will step down on March 1 and transition to the role of Executive Chairman.

Market breadth remained positive, with advancing stocks outnumbering decliners by a ratio of 1.18-to-1 on the NYSE and 1.52-to-1 on Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 recorded 15 new 52-week highs and four new lows, while the Nasdaq registered 28 new highs and 38 new lows.

Zinc prices fell 1% to close at 366.2, as growing concerns about weakening demand in China weighed on sentiment across the metals market.

Recent economic data from China showed retail sales declined 0.6% in May, marking their first contraction in more than three years, while fixed-asset investment dropped 4.1% during the first five months of the year, significantly worse than market expectations.

The figures raised concerns about the strength of industrial activity and construction demand in China, the world's largest consumer of metals.

However, Chinese industrial production rose 4.5% year-over-year in May, beating forecasts and providing some support to the broader metals complex.

Supply disruptions limit zinc losses

Despite mounting demand concerns, zinc's decline remained limited due to tightening global supply conditions.

Nexa Resources announced a temporary suspension of operations at its Cajamarquilla smelter in Peru after a fire damaged processing infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Kazzinc, owned by Glencore Group, continued operating at reduced capacity following an explosion that affected its zinc and lead production facilities in Kazakhstan.

These developments came as the International Lead and Zinc Study Group had already projected a refined zinc market deficit for the current year.

Prices also received support from declining global inventories and ongoing challenges facing mine production.

Production growth expectations cap upside

On the other hand, expectations for higher output from several major producers continued to limit zinc's upside potential.

Sweden's Boliden plans to restart production at the Garpenberg mine during the second quarter, while Japan's Mitsui Mining & Smelting expects refined zinc production to increase by 3.2% during the first half of fiscal year 2026-2027.

Global zinc market data also showed that the supply surplus narrowed significantly in March, indicating an improving balance between supply and demand compared with previous periods.

The Price

From a technical perspective, the market is witnessing long liquidation activity, with open interest declining 7.16% alongside lower prices.

Zinc faces initial support at 364.0, followed by a second support level at 361.9.

On the upside, resistance stands at 369.4, and a break above that level could pave the way for further gains toward 372.7.