Financial

UbiQD, a developer and manufacturer of quantum dot technology, has acquired BlueDot Photonics. The deal includes perovskite-based quantum cutting technology and exclusive rights to BlueDot’s associated intellectual property, initially developed (and licensed from) the University of Washington.

Seattle-based BlueDot Photonics develops solutions to improve solar panel performance. BlueDot's doped perovskite materials convert high-energy photons into nearly twice as many lower-energy photons, according to the company, and the technology could increase silicon solar panel efficiency by up to 16%. The technology has the potential to reduce the cost of solar energy generation and push photovoltaic performance beyond the theoretical limits of traditional silicon-based cells.

Solaires Entreprises, a Canadian clean technology company pioneering perovskite-based photovoltaic solutions, has announced that it has received CAD$1,550,000 (around US$1,092,000) in non-dilutive funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). 

This funding will support the continued advancement and commercialization of Solaires’ innovative perovskite photovoltaic technology, allowing their PVModules to be brought into new applications like transportation and building-integrated solutions. These advancements will enable more sustainable solutions for low-power electronic devices and will catalyze massive GHG savings in the transportation and energy markets.

Perovskite solar modules developer WattByWatt has raised CAD$975,000 (around USD$682,000) financing from the Canada's federal government, which will enable the company to increase its production capacity.  

WattByWatt offers its technology as a more efficient and less expensive alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells, particularly to recharge or power batteries in electronic devices and smart card readers. The company claims its modules can function both indoors and outdoors. It can produce customized solar panels up to 400 cm². WattByWatt’s current portfolio comprises Perovton mini-PV modules to power electronic devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) for home and industry (IIoT). These can power smoke alarms, remote controls, keypads, locks, cameras, etc.

Smartline PV is an innovative Horizon Europe project focused on improving the efficiency and stability of tin halide perovskite solar cells, a promising alternative to toxic lead-based systems. The project focuses on overcoming key challenges with a fast, robust, and scalable plasma-assisted crystallization technology, which ensures high-quality tin perovskite films through precise control of nucleation and growth. This innovative process benefits from high speed, low temperatures, and tailored precursor chemistry.

Additionally, Smartline PV will implement tailored interlayers to further enhance solar cell efficiency and stability, along with novel device concepts for flexible, color-selectable tin perovskite solar cell modules. Smartline PV's lead-free technology aims to achieve efficiencies of 22%, significantly reducing energy consumption and manufacturing costs compared to traditional high-temperature thin film processes.

ART-PV India, an IIT Bombay-incubated start-up, has been awarded a $10 million grant by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The funding will enable the company to set up a manufacturing plant for high-efficiency tandem solar cells.

ART-PV has developed a 4T cell with PCE >30% on small area ~1 cm², which will be transferred to 2T using industry partners supplying semi-processed bottom sub-cells.

China's Yanhe Solar has announced that is has signed an investment agreement with Changde City, Hunan Province, China, to establish a new perovskite material production base with a total investment of approximately RMB 1 billion ($137.91 million). 

Founded in 2024, Yanhe Solar is said to have secured angel funding from several investors. The company claims breakthroughs in dry-process perovskite cell production with high repeatability and uniformity, achieving certified efficiencies of 18.17% for its 300 x 400 mm semi-transparent flexible modules and 24.1% for small-area flexible devices. Yanhe Solar says it has already completed a 10 MW perovskite cell production line and has received pre-orders worth nearly RMB 10 million ($1.379 million).

A €3.9m EU-funded project called ET COMPACT is developing three fuel-free propulsion systems around solar energy and green propulsion innovations. The aim is to reduce satellite costs while significantly increasing the proportion of useable satellite mass, for example for scientific experiments, antennas or cameras.

The first technology is a thin film 2-terminal tandem CIGS/Perovskite module for in-space solar energy harvesting and green propulsion, with the goal of achieving an efficiency larger than 15 percent and a power-per-weight ratio larger than 50W/kg to reduce the cost of in-space solar panels.

Increasing module efficiency and expanding manufacturing capacity play complementary roles in reducing costs of metal halide perovskite/silicon tandem solar modules, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Each cost lever can play a similar role depending on a manufacturer’s ability to scale up and improve module performance.

They explain that tandem PV technology, created by pairing silicon with metal halide perovskites (MHPs) for example, can help create a solar module that can convert more sunlight to electricity than using silicon alone. This tandem technology is still in the early stages, and there are multiple options being pursued to integrate MHPs and silicon, with a lot of unknowns in terms of cost and performance. To address this gap, the researchers built a manufacturing cost model that combines laboratory processes with existing equipment and supply chains to compare different possible approaches at scale.

A new Swansea University-led project has been awarded £3 million to develop and manufacture sustainable perovskite solar modules (PSMs) in Africa, empowering local communities and promoting sustainable energy.

REACH-PSM (Resilient Renewable Energy Access Through Community-Driven Holistic Development in Perovskite Solar Module Manufacturing) aims to establish the continent’s first full-scale demonstration of next-generation solar manufacturing. Funded by the UKRI Ayrton Challenge Programme, REACH-PSM is a collaboration with universities, businesses, and local communities in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa.

Sekisui Chemical has announced it was selected for the GX Supply Chain Construction Support Project by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The company would like to play a central role in realizing the government's goal of establishing a gigawatt (GW) level supply system by 2030, and has therefore decided to make a capital investment with the aim of starting operation of a 100 MW manufacturing line in 2027, for producing lightweight perovskite solar panels, to be used initially for low load-bearing rooftops. 

The Company plans to take over the buildings of Sharp Corporation in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, and install perovskite solar cell manufacturing facilities to carry out manufacture and sales.