Solar manufacturer Swift Solar has acquired Meyer Burger’s heterojunction technology (HJT) intellectual property and manufacturing assets to ramp up domestic cell production.
California-based Swift Solar has announced the acquisition of core manufacturing assets and the heterojunction (HJT) patent portfolio from Swiss company Meyer Burger. The deal includes the transfer of Meyer Burger’s specialized engineering team and executive leadership to Swift Solar as the company transitions to gigawatt-scale manufacturing in the United States.
The acquisition provides Swift Solar with a vertically integrated path for silicon-perovskite tandem cells. HJT is a high-efficiency silicon cell architecture that serves as a base layer for tandem modules. By stacking perovskite on an HJT bottom cell, Swift Solar aims to exceed the theoretical efficiency limits of conventional silicon, which currently reach almost 30%.
As part of the transaction, key members of Meyer Burger’s leadership will join Swift Solar. Gunter Erfurt, former CEO of Meyer Burger, and Marcel Koenig, former global head of R&D, will lead the integration of the HJT technology.
This move secures Swift Solar with HJT’s most extensive intellectual property portfolio in the Western Hemisphere. This “freedom to operate” is a critical requirement for scaling up production without the risks of litigation that have historically impacted investments in the thin-film and high-efficiency solar sector.
Demand for high-density energy is increasing, largely driven by the expansion of AI data centers and broader electrification of the power grid. Swift Solar noted that the acquisition addresses the current bottleneck in the U.S. supply chain: domestic cell production.
While the US has seen an influx of module assembly plants, solar cell production remains concentrated in Asia. HJT is unique among silicon platforms in that its primary manufacturing equipment can be sourced and built outside of China, in line with current U.S. policy objectives regarding domestic content and supply chain security.
Roadmap to commercialization
Swift Solar, which has raised more than $60 million from investors and government agencies including the DOE and DOD, plans a phased approach to deployment:
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HJT Scale-up: Establishment of a gigawatt-scale HJT cell and module factory in the US to meet immediate demand for domestic silicon cells.
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Tandem Integration: Integrate Swift’s proprietary perovskite technology into established HJT lines to produce two-terminal tandem cells.
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Efficiency Gains: Leverage the tandem structure to deliver up to 40% more power with the same physical footprint compared to standard 20% to 24% efficient modules.
“We are combining German expertise in silicon manufacturing with American leadership in perovskite technology,” said Joel Jean, CEO of Swift Solar.
The company said its tandem products have demonstrated durability after 3,000 hours of operation at high temperatures, addressing long-standing industry concerns about the longevity of perovskite materials.
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