FuturaSun and Eniverse have launched their tandem solar technology joint venture SunXT
It focuses on perovskite–silicon tandem technology based on research from FuturaSun’s Solertix and materials developed by Eni
The venture plans a pilot line first, followed by industrial-scale production of 4-terminal bifacial tandem panels
Italian solar PV manufacturer FuturaSun and Eniverse, Eni’s corporate venture builder, have launched SunXT, a new venture focused on developing perovskite–silicon tandem solar PV panels.
SunXT builds on the technological foundation of Solertix, a deep-tech start-up established by internationally recognized researchers and among the early developers of perovskite solar cells in Europe. In June 2024, FuturaSun said mini modules developed by Solertix achieved a geometric fill factor of 99.6% and a power conversion efficiency of 20.7%.
It is now FuturaSun Group’s Italian center of excellence for tandem PV technologies, stated the Italian manufacturer. It will further develop perovskite technology on innovative materials developed by Eni.
The new venture aims to enhance conventional silicon solar modules by integrating perovskite technology, forming a 4-terminal bifacial architecture. They stress that this approach is expected to deliver higher efficiency, greater application flexibility, and improved cost competitiveness compared with traditional solutions.
In its initial phase, SunXT plans to build a pilot production line, followed by industrial-scale manufacturing of 4-terminal tandem panels for use in residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar projects.
“With SunXT, we will bring to market the results of the research we have been conducting since 2013, when we produced the world’s first perovskite modules at the CHOSE laboratories of Rome Tor Vergata, with the aim of increasing the performance of solar panels, reducing the cost of energy, and lowering their environmental impact. This is a crucial achievement for Italian research and industry,” said the CTO and Co-Founder of Solertix, Francesco Di Giacomo, together with Prof. Aldo Di Carlo.
FuturaSun holds a 56.1% majority stake in SunXT, with Eniverse holding the remaining 43.9%. The 2 companies are also pursuing technological development individually.
Earlier this year, FuturaSun entered into a collaboration with TNO to co-develop bifacial n-type silicon solar cells with reduced silver use and design compatibility for tandem architectures (see FuturaSun & TNO Collaborate On Bifacial N-Type Solar Cell Development).
Eni subsidiary Plenitude announced a partnership with US-based perovskite solar technology firm Swift Solar for a pilot program to test the latter’s perovskite-silicon tandem modules at its utility-scale plant (see North America Solar PV News Snippets).
