US-based Tandem PV Acquires nexTC

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Tandem PV announced on August 3 that it has acquired nexTC Corp., a developer of thin-film metal oxide coatings, bringing key coating processes in-house. Specific financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

nexTC is headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon, adjacent to the campus of Oregon State University. Tandem PV, based in California, stated that bringing the coating process in-house enhances control over production as it advances toward commercial-scale manufacturing. As part of the deal, nexTC founder and CEO Dr. Cory Perkins joins the Tandem PV team.

Tandem PV CEO Scott Wharton said the company has worked with Perkins for years, and his expertise in oxide thin films is critical to manufacturing durable, high-performance perovskite modules. Bringing this expertise and nexTC's technology into Tandem allows for better control over core manufacturing processes and direct optimization during production scale-up. nexTC specializes in solution-based transparent oxide coating technology, which applies ultra-thin layers on solar panels to regulate charge transport while allowing sunlight to reach the silicon cells. Tandem PV noted that nexTC's coatings are designed to improve module efficiency, durability, and manufacturability.

The acquisition follows the opening of Tandem PV's 65,000-square-foot commercial demonstration factory in Fremont. The facility houses a production line with a nominal annual capacity of approximately 40 MW, used to produce large-format tandem solar modules, with the goal of scaling up to commercial production. Perkins said that after collaborating with Tandem PV on multiple projects, he saw a team capable of translating solid science into production-line technology, and joining Tandem gives nexTC's coating technology the opportunity to be directly integrated into a manufacturing platform moving toward commercial-scale production.