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3SUN and CEA in the world race to industrialize perovskite tandem cells on silicon


With 3SUN, we have achieved three remarkable results that pave the way for the industrialization of Tandem technology: 30% of efficiency for a 9 cm² cell with an industrial screen printing, 27.3% for a 100 cm² cell, and less than 1% loss after 9 months outdoor for our reference tandem cells.
Published on 25 November 2025

The world of solar photovoltaics is constantly and rapidly evolving. To keep pace with the ongoing energy transition while preserving European sovereignty to the maximum extent, industry and research are joining forces to lead a technological race.

​At CEA, we conduct research in partnership with industrial companies and support them through to technology transfer. With 3SUN, the Italian Gigafactory for high-efficiency photovoltaic panels, we are developing tandem perovskite-on-silicon solar photovoltaic technology.

We are pursuing several routes simultaneously, which converge at key moments. The objective?

  • Achieve the best possible conversion efficiencies,
  • identify and develop processes for industrialization,
  • ensure stability and reliability over time,
  • while ensuring the competitiveness of these technologies and their environmental impact. 

In the race to master industry compatible processes with the highest efficiencies, our best result to date is 30%, result certified on an 8.2 cm² area at the JRC - JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE Of ESTI - European Solar Test Installation. What is remarkable is that this result has been achieved by integrating an industrial screen-printing process with an impressive rhythm of progress.


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On the road to producing these cells in industrial formats, we have achieved an efficiency of 27.3% over nearly 100 cm², a result obtained by integrating an industrial screen-printing process. This result places us among the top players in the world for efficiency/size ratio.


Tandem cell of 100 cm² - Credit CEA 

We also submit our tandem architecture to real-world conditions over time, to verify its stability. Monitored between December 2024 and September 2025, our reference tandem cells show less than 1% loss after 9 months outdoor. 


These three outstanding results reinforce our technological choices and open the way to rapid industrialization of this technology in Europe. 

3SUN has opened Europe's first Gigafactory for the production of high-efficiency silicon heterojunction photovoltaic panels in Sicily. Its capacity will reach 3 GW and includes cell production and panel assembly.



Outdoor test bench​ - Credit N. LEMAITRE - CEA​

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