PVTIME – T1 Energy has completed the full acquisition of the core TOPCon photovoltaic cell and module patents. This strategic move is designed to strengthen the company’s market differentiation and resolve long-standing intellectual property barriers affecting US solar manufacturing. Valued at $135 million (RMB 912 million), the transaction involves the purchase of all fundamental TOPCon patent assets and associated intellectual property rights held by Evervolt Green Energy Holding Pte Ltd (Evervolt) in Singapore. This ends the company’s previous reliance on licensed access to the technology.
The payment structure comprises an initial deposit of $2 million to secure full ownership of the patents, with the remaining $133 million to be paid in four instalments by 30 October 2026. The firm may complete payments via cash, equity issuance, or a combination of both methods.
T1 Energy states that TOPCon remains the most technically efficient and commercially mature silicon-based photovoltaic technology for large-scale production. The newly acquired patent portfolio will underpin the development of its fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing base in the United States. T1 Energy’s chair and chief executive officer, Dan Bartholomew, confirms that full ownership of mainstream silicon PV intellectual property is instrumental in establishing the firm as a leading, domestic, vertically integrated crystalline silicon manufacturer and will deliver sustained commercial, strategic, and long-term financial benefits.
Amid expanding local solar manufacturing capacity, industry-wide legal disputes have continued to disrupt TOPCon deployment across the United States. Although it does not manufacture any TOPCon products itself, thin-film PV leader First Solar holds an extensive portfolio of relevant patents and has initiated widespread litigation at the US International Trade Commission. The legal proceedings seek to ban the import of infringing TOPCon products and to enforce a nationwide cessation of unauthorised technical usage.
The ongoing risk of litigation has prompted many US manufacturers to avoid TOPCon technology in domestic production. Instead, firms have opted for the more established Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell technology or alternative Heterojunction cell solutions to reduce their legal exposure. ES Foundry has publicly cited complex TOPCon intellectual property risks as the reason for its US PERC production deployment strategy, while Canadian Solar recently launched its 6GW HJT cell manufacturing facility in Indiana.
Bartholomew has reiterated a positive long-term outlook for US crystalline silicon manufacturing, noting that silicon-based photovoltaic technology represents the future of the renewable energy sector, superseding traditional fossil fuel energy systems.
Alongside the update on patent acquisitions, T1 Energy has published preliminary unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2026. The company forecasts a net loss from continuing operations of between $34 million and $37 million, as well as an EBITDA loss ranging from $11.5 million to $14.5 million. These figures exclude a $24.4 million tax rebate linked to former tariff policies enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which have now been overturned.
During the quarter, the company recorded module shipments of approximately 835MW, with projected quarterly revenue of between $245 million and $255 million. Full monetisation of its remaining Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit entitlement generated a cash inflow of $39.1 million in the period.
For the operational year of 2026, the firm is targeting an annual module output of between 3.1 and 4.2GW at its G1 manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas. The aim is to deliver production volumes at the upper end of its published guidance. Capacity utilisation is expected to increase significantly in the third and fourth quarters compared to Q2 levels. The company has also adjusted its manufacturing roadmap, pushing back the commercial launch of its Austin-based G2 cell factory from late 2026 to the beginning of 2027.
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