Swift Solar, a U.S.-based manufacturer of perovskite tandem solar cells, announced its technology was deployed in a U.S. Department of Defense cyber security demonstration, marking one of the first operational deployments of perovskites.
The perovskite solar cells were integrated with the Rapid Deployment Hybrid MicroGrid (RDHM) developed by Resilient Energy & Infrastructure. The modular microgrids are designed for quick setup and re-location, built in ruggedized 10 ft., 20 ft., and 40 ft. standard shipping containers, making them deployable in disaster response, military operation, or remote power generation applications.
The deployable microgrid makes use of multiple energy inputs, containing a diesel generator and battery energy storage system along with the perovskite solar cells.
The microgrids rolled out as part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Cyber Fortress security demonstration in Virginia Beach, Virginia this August. The demonstration was attended by Army operational energy specialists, and private sector partners like Amazon Web Services.
“By strengthening operational energy resilience, US-made perovskite solar technology can directly address the growing power demands of the modern battlefield and enhance overall military readiness,” said Dr. Andre Slonopas, cyber fortress lead with the U.S. Army.
Perovskite tandems typically involve depositing a thin layer of perovskite solar cells on top of conventional silicon-based solar cells, boosting electricity production. Perovskites are actively being researched for their high output and relatively low production costs, though advancements must be made in long-term operational durability, as they degrade far faster than silicon-based solar cells.
Swift Solar said its tandem product exhibits no degradation over 3,000-plus hours of high-temperature operation.
The company said its perovskite solar cells generate up to 30% more power than traditional solar cells, improving the energy density and power-to-weight ratio of the modular system.
“For our mobile RDHMs, where space, weight, and agility are mission-critical factors for operational energy, we envision Swift Solar’s perovskite as vastly increasing the energy density we can deploy, while enhancing energy resilience for military operations,” said Paul Maloney, chief executive officer, Resilient Energy & Infrastructure.
Swift Solar’s perovskite tandems are backed by exclusive IP from MIT, Stanford, and NREL, with over 40 patents and over $60 million in funding from leading venture capitalists, strategic investors, and government agencies including the US Army, Space Force and others.
Swift Solar said commercial production of its perovskite tandems is ramping up over the next 24 months. The company told pv magazine that it targets “gigawatt-scale” production by 2030.
Swift Solar internally developed a novel vapor deposition technology for its manufacturing process. The new method is a non-batch process that solves two problems associated with the use of established vapor processing in perovskite material manufacturing – the slow speed of deposition and the non-continuous nature of batch processing.
“Our deposition approach allows for the continuous deposition of a fully absorbing perovskite material within less than five minutes,” corresponding author Tobias Abzieher from Swift Solar told pv magazine. “Solar cells prepared with these materials also outperform previously realized efficiencies of vapor processed inorganic perovskite solar cells significantly.”
Solar perovskites have advanced rapidly in both efficiency and durability as developers compete fiercely to commercialize their products.
“Perovskite-silicon tandem cells have achieved record efficiencies of 34.8% in 2025, compared to 27.3% for record silicon cells and about 20% for standard solar panels today. That’s a 30% jump in power output from the same footprint,” said Swift Solar in a press statement.
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