PVTIME – US thin-film solar giant First Solar has secured an exclusive, multi-year deal with quantum dot specialist UbiQD, with the aim of integrating UbiQD’s quantum dot technology into First Solar’s thin-film modules. The two companies have been collaborating on the co-design of solar modules since 2023.
Quantum dots are semiconductor nanoparticles that optimise light spectra by targeting specific wavelengths. When used in module encapsulation, they boost bifacial quantum conversion efficiency by more than double, which is a key advantage as global solar manufacturers compete on performance and price. Initially developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and MIT, UbiQD’s technology has been proven to be cost-effective and scalable for solar applications.
Dr Hunter McDaniel, UbiQD’s founder and CEO, noted that this deal marks a turning point for the quantum dot industry as it is the first high-volume supply agreement outside of display technology. He highlighted how US innovation can deliver differentiated performance.
First Solar’s chief technology officer, Markus Glöckler, explained that even minor enhancements to bifaciality can significantly increase the energy output of large ground-mounted plants. He expressed his excitement about the potential of this technology to improve the performance of First Solar’s bifacial modules. While First Solar’s traditional cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules are not bifacial, its Series 6 range includes a double-glass bifacial option.
UbiQD plans to build one of the world’s highest-volume quantum dot manufacturing facilities in New Mexico next year.
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