Recently, the German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) announced plans to build a TOPCon cell pilot production line. This initiative aims to support U.S. manufacturer Talon PV’s ambitious project to establish solar cell manufacturing capacity in the United States.
It is reported that Talon PV is actively constructing a TOPCon solar cell production plant in the U.S. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to achieve a nameplate capacity of 4 GW.
To assist Talon in refining its product design and manufacturing processes, Fraunhofer ISE will set up a pilot production line at its Photovoltaic Technology Evaluation Center (PV-TEC) in Freiburg, Germany. Talon will integrate its specific machinery into the institute’s existing equipment to simulate the production line that will be deployed at its 4 GW U.S. factory.
Dr. Jochen Rentsch, Head of Photovoltaic Technology Transfer at Fraunhofer ISE, stated, “Replicating this production line for Talon PV allows us to optimize new products and factory processes before full-scale production begins. This approach saves both time and money.” Moreover, even after Talon PV’s 4 GW factory reaches full production capacity, the institute will continue to conduct research and development on TOPCon cells at the pilot production line in Freiburg.
Adam Tesanovich, Co-Founder and CEO of Talon PV, revealed that the company plans to launch G12-sized TOPCon solar cells, which represent the most advanced cell technology currently available. Simultaneously, the company has already begun preparations for next-generation solar technologies, particularly perovskite/silicon tandem cells.
