Heraeus and Tongwei team on next-gen solar cell material development

July 25, 2017
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A key part of the collaboration revolves around joint R&D of front side silver paste, with the goal of setting the industry standard for high-efficiency products. Image: Tongwei

Major metallization paste producer Heraeus Photovoltaics has extended its supplier status with major China-based integrated PV module manufacturer, Tongwei Solar to collaborate on next-generation high-efficiency wafer and solar technologies. 

A key part of the collaboration revolves around joint R&D of front side silver paste, with the goal of setting the industry standard for high-efficiency products. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Xie Yi, president of Tongwei Solar said, “As one of our key partners, Heraeus Photovoltaics, accounts for major share of our metallization paste supply and helps us achieve efficient performance in terms of multi-crystalline silicon cells. As the market requirements on production processes are becoming higher and higher and the technology roadmap has been constantly updated, we are very happy to partner with Heraeus Photovoltaics to embrace the future and new technologies, and to build longer, closer and more diverse partnership.” 

Tongwei Solar also has aggressive plans to expand capacity. Current solar cell capacity in Hefei, China stands at around 2.6GW with Phase 2 plans reaching around 5GW in the next 3 to 5 years. Overall solar cell capacity at Tongwei is expected to reach around 10GW by 2020.

Andreas Liebheit, President of Heraeus Photovoltaics added, “Heraeus and Tongwei Solar have cooperated for years. By working even closer and in a more focused manner, we believe we can set a new benchmark for the PV industry.”

Heraeus has been active in partnering with a number of emerging players in China, including Jolywood. Dedicated N-type monocrystalline module manufacturer Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd (Jolywood) recently collaborated with TUV NORD and the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT) to establish a preliminary testing standard for bifacial solar modules.

Heraeus also plans to collaborate with Tongwie on black silicon, PERC technology and other high-efficiency technologies.

13 October 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 13-14 October 2026 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023, 2024 and 2025 were a sell out success and 2026 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

February 2, 2026
India’s Union Budget 2026-27 reinforces government support for renewables through duty exemptions and infrastructure spending.
January 29, 2026
The cost of Chinese solar module manufacturing will rise in the first half of 2026, though prices may fall again before the end of the year.
January 29, 2026
PV module defects are increasing as manufacturers struggle to achieve consistent quality through robust bill-of-material and process controls.
Premium
January 27, 2026
For the past two years, China’s PV manufacturers have been locked in a cycle of intense competition and price wars.
Premium
January 26, 2026
The removal of a tax rebate for Chinese PV exports is set to drive up module prices as overseas buyers rush to secure lower-priced products.
January 23, 2026
Suzhou Maxwell Technologies has secured a certified power conversion efficiency of 32.38% for a perovskite/silicon heterojunction (SHJ) tandem solar cell.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
February 18, 2026
9am PST / 5pm GMT
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
October 13, 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA