Imagine a solar cell where all the electrical wires are moved to the back, leaving the front completely clear to soak up more sunlight. This project makes those high-end cells cheaper to produce by using existing factory tools and smarter designs. It's like upgrading a car engine to be more powerful without needing to build a whole new factory from scratch.
European solar production struggles to compete with global scales and newer technologies like TOPCon. There is a need for high-efficiency cells that don't require entirely new, expensive factory setups.
A demonstrator module with >23% efficiency and pilot-scale production processes for IBC cells, including new ingot hot zone designs and thinner wafer slicing recipes.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with high production costs and competition from HJT or TOPCon technologies — this project developed a bifacial IBC cell design that uses existing production equipment to lower the cost of ownership. It enables a transition to GW scale production by 2030.
If you are a wafer producer dealing with material waste and low throughput — this project developed a new hot zone design to increase productivity by 10% and slicing recipes that reduce wafer thickness by about 10%.
If you are a developer dealing with low energy yields per square meter — this project developed a demonstrator module with >23% full area efficiency. This allows for higher energy density and better resource efficiency in large-scale deployments.
The project focuses on using existing production technology and improving processing steps on available equipment to reduce the cost of ownership. It specifically targets cost competitiveness against PERC, HJT, and TOPCon technologies.
Yes, the project aims for GW scale mass production across the entire value chain (ingot, wafer, cell, and module) by 2030 using interlinked pilot lines.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing cost-effective equipment and designs like polyZEBRA and POLO IBC, but specific licensing terms are not provided.
The project runs from November 2022 to April 2026, with a target for GW scale mass production by 2030.
Integration is achieved by improving existing processing steps on available equipment and introducing Industry 4.0 solutions for quality control and predictive maintenance.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 17 industrial partners (74% of the total) and 9 SMEs across 11 countries. This high ratio of commercial players, combined with 6 research institutions, indicates a strong focus on commercial viability and manufacturing readiness rather than pure academic research.
Contact International Solar Energy Researchcenter Konstanz ISC EV
Contact us to connect with the IBC4EU industrial partners for licensing and pilot integration.
