Energy firm sets world record with 'champion cell' technology: 'This result is laying the groundwork'
This new world record was independently verified by the Fraunhofer ISE CalLab, setting a new benchmark for commercially viable solar technology.
Solar power has long been one of the most promising sources of clean, affordable energy, but improving its efficiency has always been a challenge.
With Qcells' new tandem cell technology, more energy can be generated from each solar panel, reducing the overall number of panels needed to power a home, business, or even a whole community. This means a smaller land footprint for solar farms and a potential reduction in the cost of solar energy — making clean energy more affordable and accessible for everyone.
Qcells has been working on developing a commercially viable tandem solar cell since 2016, combining two powerful technologies: a perovskite top cell and Qcells' proprietary Q.ANTUM silicon technology for the bottom cell.
The perovskite captures high-energy light, while the silicon captures lower-energy light, maximizing the cell's performance. This approach improves power output per unit area, making it a game-changer for large-scale solar installations.
Qcells' dedicated R&D teams in Germany and Korea have made significant strides in tandem cell technology, shifting their focus from small-area cells to full-sized, scalable solutions.
This new tandem cell was produced on Qcells' R&D pilot line in Germany, using commercial processes that are feasible for mass production.
"The champion cell is a typical cell from our R&D pilot line in Germany and has been fabricated by exclusively using processes that are feasible for mass production," Robert Bauer, Head of Qcells R&D in Germany, explained.
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He added that this breakthrough "is laying the groundwork for future commercialization of this exciting technology."
According to Danielle Merfeld, Global CTO at Qcells, the tandem cell technology will "ultimately, deliver a great leap forward in photovoltaic performance."
This new tandem solar technology has the potential to lower the cost of solar energy, reduce reliance on dirty fuels, and help cities and companies meet their clean energy goals faster. If successful at scale, it could be a key driver in making solar energy a more widespread and cost-effective solution for powering homes, businesses, and public infrastructure.
While there's no specific timeline yet for when this technology will be available to consumers, Qcells' commitment to ongoing R&D investments and partnerships with government and industry leaders signals that the future of solar energy is looking brighter than ever.
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Bloomberg
4 days ago
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US Solar Makers File Trade Petition Against India, Indonesia
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CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- When two South Korean companies announced a multibillion-dollar investment to build solar panel and electric battery factories in northwest Georgia, federal subsidies helped close a deal to diversify the local economy. The factories promised thousands of new jobs, transforming the manufacturing base in Cartersville, once a cotton mill town before an Anheuser-Busch brewery arrived in the 1990s and a tire plant in 2006. But now Republicans in Congress want to gut the subsidies for projects across the country in a tax cut bill likely days from final passage. President Donald Trump's signature legislation could harm Cartersville despite it being in overwhelmingly Republican Bartow County, which backed Trump with 75% of the vote all three times he appeared on the ballot. Both companies say they're continuing their buildout plans. But Steve Taylor, a Republican who is Bartow County's lone elected commissioner, says ending the tax credits would be 'a little concerning.' 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The Hill
30-06-2025
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A Georgia town that solidly backed Trump could fall victim to his tax bill's green energy cuts
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Qcells itself would still get production tax credits for panels it started producing last year in Cartersville. The bill would also tax companies that buy panels or components from some foreign countries including China. That could help Qcells, but wouldn't aid domestic producers as much as the domestic content bonus. When the 1,900-job plant is complete, it will take refined polysilicon, cast it into ingots and then thinly slice ingots into the wafers that become solar cells. Qcells says controlling its own supply chain will let it work more efficiently. Those additional steps would earn the company additional tax credits. Scott Moskowitz, vice president of market strategy and industry affairs for Qcells, said the company built its first American factory up the road in Dalton during the first Trump administration in response to Trump's protectionist trade policy. 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Kemp sharply disputes that the Biden-era incentives spurred the flood of investment, saying many industries were already on their way before the Inflation Reduction Act was passed. Unlike his current silence, Kemp vociferously opposed some domestic content requirements that made it hard for Hyundai to access the same tax credits as unionized U.S.-based automakers. 'Just generally speaking, the Inflation Reduction Act picked winners and losers, and we saw that negatively impact our partners,' Douglas said. All nine of Georgia's Republican House members voted to support the bill, including U.S. Rep Buddy Carter, who earlier signed a letter supporting green energy subsidies. Carter, who is seeking the GOP nomination to oppose Ossoff for Senate in 2026, represents a coastal district that includes a $7.6 billion Hyundai plant in Ellabell that started production last year. Hyundai wants to make batteries at what would be a 3,500-employee plant near Cartersville so that Hyundai and Kia buyers can fully take advantage of the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles. Those credits would end six months after the bill is enacted under the current version. The company is publicly sidestepping the current legislative fight. But with American demand for electric vehicles slow to take off, Hyundai now says it will also build gas-electric hybrid vehicles in Ellabell, once projected to make only electric vehicles. 'We remain focused on electrification because we believe it represents a significant long-term opportunity,' Hyundai spokesperson Michael Stewart said in a statement. 'At the same time, our business is driven by consumer demand, which is why we continue to offer a full range of powertrains.' Bartow County leaders say it's in everyone's interest to keep the projects on solid footing and that jobs should outweigh politics. 'I don't know that people are lining up along party lines over this topic,' Santini said. But Ossoff says partisanship is motivating many Georgia Republicans to turn their backs on the state's economic interests. 'For national Republicans right now, loyalty to Trump is more important than anything else, and this is what Trump says he wants,' Ossoff said.
