Three American manufacturers actively work on commercializing their respective Perovskiet-Silicon Tandem technologies argue for dental modules. CubicPV, Caelux and Swift Solar claim that a commercial future for Perovskites is inevitable, and they tell PV Magazine that the current policy environment could work in favor of technology.
From PV Magazine
Commercial use of perovskites is traditionally stopped by their unproven sustainability compared to crystalline silicon. But the tide is changing slowly.
In July 2025, Caelux completed the first commercial customer order shipping of his active glass technology, which will be used on a project on Utility scale with a large developer. The project combines actively glass with a silicon solar module to make a hybrid tandem. Speaking with PV Magazine, Aaron Thurlow, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at Caelux, said that he could not offer any more detail, but he confirmed that more shipments will be submitted in the coming months.
Caelux claims that his active glass technology is compatible with all regular silicon modules. The company states that its tandem-compatible modules up to 30% more power density, 20% more energy production and up to 20% lower project costs will make possible. The first mainstream commercial product will be Caelux One and his early generation of shipments are called Caelux Prime, although the underlying technology of both is broadly the same, Thurlow said.
These are made in the 100 MW production capacity of the company in Baldwin Park, California. The R&D Laboratory is next to the factory, which according to Thurlow is useful for scaling. “Trying to scalen technology from Lab to FAB, you come across countless challenges and lessons, so we think this is a really careful step before we start building Fabs from Gigawatt scale.”
Gigawatt goal
The production of Gigawatt scale is also the goal for Swift Solar. From the base in San Carlos, California, the CEO and co-founder of the company, Joel Jean, told PV Magazine that it focused on the production of Gigawatt scale by 2030 and is on schedule to build its first production line in the United States in the United States “in the next two years”.
“We have a pilot line that makes full-size prototypes from Tandem Perovskiet cells and small modules that set us up for initial field tests and early commercial implementations,” Jean said. It will be at a higher price, but the company already sees the demand, even for smaller production.
Swift Solar’s itself developed vapor deposits technology increases the production speed, reducing the production costs. At the end of 2024, the company provided $ 27 million financing to scale up its technology.
World record
In Bedford, Massachusetts, CubicPV achieved a world record efficiency of 24% for a perovskiet mini-zone module together with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The previous record was 23.9%.
Although the design of the metal return contact device is not suitable for dental modules, CubicPV Chief Technology Officer Adam Lorenz said that it was useful with regard to presenting practical potential. “This was not a pixel performance, but a serial module, which means that the record performance has been demonstrated in a larger area including cell interconnection within the device and industrially appropriate packaging, much closer to real manufactured thin-movie products. That distinguishes because serial, fully packaged modules are brought under realistic, electric electricity.”
The next step is to get sustainable modules in the field for monitoring and translating accelerated aging tests into self-assured predictions of Real-World performance, Lorenz said that customers are aimed at outdoor performance data and bankability.
Lorenz said that all CubicPV performance so far prove that Perovskite devices “are no longer just a laboratory effort.” He believes that combining the high efficiency of Perovskite with the designs of production-ready “undoubtedly the technology closer to the market and the performance of the performance that the industry has expected.”
He pointed out that CubicPV has also shown results with NREL for devices using transparent back contacts instead of metal back contact and achieved more than 23% efficiency – a “clear indication of our ability to realize a 30% dental module with silicon,” he said.
What is the following?
According to Jean, Perovskite-Silicon Tandem efficiency is well proven. “The most important challenge for Perovskites is stability and scalability,” he said, adding that silicon reaches its efficiency ceiling. Perovskite-silicon-tandems are “the next S-curve for the industry”, but there is otherwise the possibility of triple splits or a full perovskite tandem. Jean does not see non-perovskite tandems so likely in the short term.
Lorenz and Thurlow agree, with Thurlow claiming that single junction perovskiet will not compete with Perovskiet-Silicon Tandem, because silicon is so cost-effective. Silicon is needed to maintain the balance between costs and efficiency. “It’s an economic comparison.”
LCO -WINSTEN
Lorenz thinks that economic demand will be more urgent in terms of policy uncertainty in the United States. But he added that the disconnection offers a chance for a bullish industry to make a profit. “Higher costs and supply chain insecurity mean that customers attach an increasing value to efficiency, lower system costs and a greater energy return,” he said. Lorenz is of the opinion that the extra electricity offered by Perovskiet-compatible tandems can help reduce the total project costs and to unlock new siting opportunities, and that perovskites are of vital importance for navigating all this change.
Jean said that strong support for domestic production and the resistance of American supply chains inspire confidence, adding that the tax credits of production remain strong.
“We can offer a better economy for solar projects that see headwind,” he said about developers who are confronted with the removal of investment tax credits (ITC) for projects.
He added that a fast solar module could supply customers 10% to 30% more electricity, reducing the balance of the system costs, causing LCOe to fall and increased their internal returns.
“It may help them to bridge an ITC world to a non -ITC world, and we therefore see a lot of interest from customers.”
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