Tandem PV glass and quantum dots: Two U.S. PV innovations closer to commercialization
While solar module manufacturers continue their race to the bottom on pricing, two U.S.-based innovators are trying to forge a new course—one that layers on performance and efficiency with next-gen material science.
This week, both Caelux and UbiQD hit commercial milestones for their respective tech: Caelux shipped its first perovskite-based Active Glass to a solar developer, while UbiQD signed a multi-year supply deal with First Solar to integrate quantum dot tech into thin-film panels. These breakthroughs point toward a near-future where boosting energy yield from the same panel footprint isn’t just a design upgrade—it’s a competitive necessity.
Caelux ships its first perovskite Active Glass order
Perovskite solar tech has long promised lab-grade efficiency boosts—but Caelux is one of the few companies bringing it to rooftops and utility-scale fields. The California-based company recently completed its first commercial shipment of its proprietary Active Glass product to a “leading U.S. solar developer.” The technology is designed to be paired with silicon modules to create a “Hybrid Tandem,” combining two photovoltaic materials in one module.
The company says this tandem approach can deliver up to 30% more power density, 20% more energy production, and cut project costs by up to 20%, compared to conventional silicon panels alone. That performance edge is baked into the glass layer, making it compatible with existing module manufacturing lines and silicon suppliers.
“We’re thrilled to begin shipping out our technology,” said Caelux CEO Scott Graybeal. “This is the beginning of many more improvements to come.”
Caelux is working with an established silicon module manufacturer to integrate the tech, with the first customer installation marking the beginning of its broader market rollout.
UbiQD inks exclusive quantum dot supply deal with First Solar
New Mexico-based UbiQD has developed a different kind of material enhancement: quantum dots. These nano-scale semiconductors can fine-tune how light interacts with solar modules, and now they’re headed for prime time. UbiQD announced a multi-year, exclusive agreement to supply its fluorescent quantum dot (QD) materials to First Solar, which plans to embed them into its bifacial thin-film PV panels.
This marks the first high-volume QD supply deal outside of the display industry, and could push UbiQD’s annual production capacity to over 100 metric tons. The companies say the integration can more than double the bifacial quantum efficiency for specific wavelengths—squeezing more energy from indirect and reflected sunlight.
“At utility-scale, even incremental gains in bifaciality translate into significant real-world impact,” said Markus Gloeckler, CTO at First Solar.
The deal builds on a joint R&D effort launched in 2023 and coincides with a $20 million Series B raise by UbiQD to build one of the world’s largest quantum dot manufacturing facilities, planned for New Mexico.
Our two cents per Watt
Neither of these innovations requires a wholesale reinvention of solar manufacturing—just smarter ways to extract more energy from the same panel. As the industry looks to improve returns and localize supply chains, these material-level enhancements could offer an edge that scales fast, without waiting on a next-gen cell architecture to be proven.
