U.S.-based thin-film solar module manufacturer First Solar announced it has entered a supply agreement with UbiQD, a developer of quantum dot nanotechnology. The collaboration is expected to enable early adoption of quantum dots in First Solar modules, boosting output efficiency.
Quantum dots (QD) are photoluminescent particles so small that it would take 100,000 of them to span one fingernail, said UbiQD. The dots are a semiconductor material effective at manipulating color and light.
Integrating quantum dots into solar panels supports light absorption, improves spectral response and advances utility-scale solar project performance.
To advance the functionality of its solar PV products, UbiQD recently acquired U.S.-based BlueDot Photonics, a company developing doped perovskite materials that reportedly have the potential to provide a relative power boost of 16% when integrated into crystalline silicon solar modules.
The technology is particularly beneficial for bifacial solar panels, or panels that produce electricity on both sides, including the backside, which gathers light reflected up from the ground. The company said quantum dots more than double the bifacial quantum efficiency of light conversion for specific wavelengths and colors.
“At utility-scale, even incremental gains in bifaciality translate into significant real-world impact on energy yield,” said Markus Gloeckler, chief technology officer, First Solar.
UBiQD said its quantum dots can be integrated with “minimal changes to manufacturing processes.”
In April, the company closed a $20 million Series-B funding round, announcing plans to establish a manufacturing facility in New Mexico in the coming year.
The company first entered a joint development agreement with First Solar in 2023. UbiQD said the new supply agreement has the potential it to reach over 100 metric tons of production per year.
“This partnership showcases how U.S. innovation and manufacturing can deliver differentiated performance especially at a time when making breakthroughs in efficiency and materials is more vital than ever,” said Hunter McDaniel, founder and chief executive officer, UbiQD.
The proprietary quantum dot technology was originally developed at U.S.-based research institutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory and M.I.T.
In 2021 UbiQD installed its energy-producing windows at three commercial sites. In 2022, the company’s quantum dot solar technology was used in a Small Business Innovation Research project with the United States Air Force. The Air force contract provided funding for two installations of over 20 windows and additional scale-up and development funds for the product. Also in 2022, UbiQD announced that it was developing a solution for controlled-environment agriculture in partnership with Heliene, a U.S.-based solar module manufacturer.
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