INSOLIGHT SA

Their core work

Insolight is a Swiss deep-tech SME commercializing high-efficiency hybrid photovoltaic modules that combine multijunction solar cells with a planar optical micro-tracking layer. Their technology aims to reach module efficiencies around 30%, well above conventional silicon panels, while keeping a flat form factor suitable for rooftops and agrivoltaic installations. They contribute technology development, pilot manufacturing, and field demonstration capabilities rather than pure research, positioning themselves between lab science and industrial PV deployment.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2018, Insolight entered H2020 through GRECO, a society-facing project built around responsible research, open science, and citizen engagement in photovoltaics — a relatively small, outreach-oriented role. From 2019 onward they moved firmly into their core technical domain with HIPERION, a much larger energy project on hybrid PV, multijunction cells, micro-tracking optics, and a pilot production line. The shift is clear: from a peripheral role in PV communication toward a central technology provider role in high-efficiency solar manufacturing.

They are moving from research-and-communication participation toward industrial scale-up of their proprietary high-efficiency PV technology, making them an increasingly relevant partner for pilot lines, agrivoltaics, and next-generation solar deployment projects.

How they like to work

Insolight joins as a participant rather than a coordinator, contributing a specific technology block inside larger consortia. Across just two projects they have worked with 25 partners in 12 countries, suggesting they bring a well-defined capability that different consortia plug into rather than a broad project-management profile. For partners, this means they are best engaged as a technology provider or industrial demonstrator, not as a lead administrator.

They have collaborated with 25 unique partners across 12 countries in only two projects, indicating a broad European reach despite a small project count. No single recurring partner bloc is visible, which is typical of a Swiss technology SME plugging into pan-European energy consortia.

What sets them apart

Insolight is one of very few European SMEs turning multijunction III-V solar cells — usually reserved for satellites and concentrator systems — into flat, roof-compatible modules via planar optical micro-tracking. That combination of space-grade cell efficiency with terrestrial form factor is unusual in the PV landscape. For partners, they are the go-to technology block when a consortium needs efficiencies beyond silicon without leaving conventional installation practices.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HIPERION
  Their flagship H2020 project at EUR 3.28M, driving a pilot production line and demosites for 30%-efficiency hybrid PV modules.
• GRECO
  An unusual fit for a hardware SME: a society-and-open-science project that shows willingness to engage with citizens and the quadruple helix around PV.