PVTIME – California-based perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell manufacturer Swift Solar has acquired the US manufacturing assets formerly owned by Swiss firm Meyer Burger. This acquisition is a significant step towards establishing a domestic solar supply chain in the US, as the Swiss manufacturer continues to sell off assets following its bankruptcy filing last June.
Joel Jean, CEO of Swift Solar, emphasised that American domestic solar manufacturing is at a pivotal point. He noted that electricity demand is rising sharply due to AI data centres, electrification, and industrial reshoring. He added that solar energy remains the fastest and most scalable method for connecting new clean power to the grid. He also pointed out that the US lacks a competitive domestic supply of high-efficiency solar cells, with a gap of several gigawatts between battery manufacturing capacity and end-market demand that can only be filled by imports.
Data released this month by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) underscores this disparity. The US currently has 3.2 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity, which is a small fraction of its 66.6 GW of operational module manufacturing capacity. This makes the rapid development of a more robust industrial base the top priority for American solar manufacturing.
Jean explained that acquiring Meyer Burger’s assets enables Swift Solar to accelerate the development of this industrial base by swiftly integrating the necessary silicon platform for tandem manufacturing, thus eliminating the need to develop such capabilities from scratch over several years.
The transaction has two core components: First, Swift Solar will acquire Meyer Burger’s HJT technology IP portfolio, absorb relevant personnel, and integrate the Swiss firm’s silicon technology into its own perovskite R&D. Although no details have been disclosed regarding manufacturing capacity or quantities of industrial equipment, Jean emphasised that Meyer Burger’s expertise among its employees and its IP portfolio are the most valuable aspects of the deal.
He added that Meyer Burger had originally planned to manufacture in the US, having designed and built production equipment that was never installed or operated. Jean stated that bringing this capability in-house enables Swift Solar to deliver a complete tandem value chain under one roof and accelerate the transition from technological breakthroughs to commercial production.
Swift Solar has confirmed that former Meyer Burger CEO Gunter Erfert and Global Head of R&D Marcel Keoning will be joining the company as industry veterans. Their expertise will be invaluable as Swift Solar scales up production of its perovskite-silicon products, which, unlike PERC and TOPCon technologies, have not yet achieved large-scale commercial production.
Jean stressed the strategic importance of the HJT IP portfolio, noting that heterojunction is the optimal choice for the bottom cell of perovskite-silicon tandem cells, which is the architecture that Swift Solar prefers to adopt. He emphasised that a robust IP foundation is vital in an industry where operational freedom and litigation risks influence manufacturing strategies. This enables Swift Solar to combine Meyer Burger’s HJT patents with its own perovskite IP, creating a comprehensive portfolio that covers the entire tandem structure, manufacturing processes, and equipment.
Minimising litigation risks is particularly important in the global solar industry, where technological innovation has resulted in a high number of patent infringement lawsuits. While some cases have been amicably resolved, such as the cross-licensing agreement between Chint Solar and JA Solar, others have escalated into prolonged legal disputes. Jean stated that HJT products manufactured using Meyer Burger’s leading global patent portfolio offer significant operational freedom and that the combined IP strength gives Swift Solar confidence in its large-scale manufacturing capabilities.
He declined to comment on IP challenges facing other architectures, but confirmed that HJT is capable of forming the basis of the next generation of solar technology in the US and wider Western markets. Legal security is likely to be a priority for Swift Solar, given that some of Meyer Burger’s physical assets were acquired by Waaree Solar Americas and Babacomari Solar North for almost $29 million last year. Jean did not disclose details of the manufacturing capacity or investment involved in his company’s acquisition.
The transaction is also significant in terms of building a more robust domestic solar supply chain in the US, with Swift Solar aiming to establish large-scale tandem manufacturing capacity in the country. Jean explained that the acquisition accelerates this goal by combining European silicon manufacturing expertise with Swift Solar’s existing perovskite foundation. This provides the industrial base needed to bring tandem products to market at scale, establishing the company as the strongest Western solar manufacturer for future photovoltaic technology.
His focus on US and Western manufacturing more broadly reflects the imbalance in the global solar supply chain. China’s dominance of global solar manufacturing capacity is well documented, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasting that it will account for 93% of global wafer capacity, 85% of cell capacity, and 77% of module capacity by 2030. However, Jean noted geographical and technological differences in manufacturing output.
He stated that HJT is one of the few high-efficiency silicon technologies for which the core equipment design and process expertise were developed primarily outside China. This is in contrast to PERC and TOPCon, for which capabilities are highly concentrated in China and which rely on Chinese equipment suppliers for first-class production quality in non-Chinese regions. He highlighted Meyer Burger’s role as the backbone of the Western solar industry, having built gigawatt-scale manufacturing equipment and expertise in Europe, and having supplied core equipment to customers across North America, Europe, and Asia.
He noted that perovskite-silicon tandem cells offer significant efficiency potential, with modern silicon cells having an efficiency ceiling of around 30%, which could be increased to approximately 45% through tandem integration. He believes that Meyer Burger’s equipment will require only minor modifications to integrate with Swift Solar’s technology as the company establishes manufacturing facilities in the US. He added that Swift Solar’s tandem technology is compatible with multiple silicon architectures, but Meyer Burger’s HJT is a particularly strong fit and will require minimal adjustments to serve as a bottom cell for high-performance tandem production.
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