Silfab Solar buys BC technology patent portfolio from Germany’s EnPV

May 21, 2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Paolo Maccario, Silfab president and CEO, said the SABC technology was “specifically designed for the US market.” Image: Silfab Solar.

US PV module manufacturer Silfab Solar has acquired a patent portfolio for back-contact (BC) solar cells from solar research firm EnPV.

The technology patent portfolio is for self-aligned back contact (SABC) solar cell technology, which Silfab said “enables precise alignment and improved electrical performance in cell and module fabrication.”

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

EnPV – a subsidiary of German energy company EnBW (Energie Baden-Württemberg) – says the technology is designed to “upgrade” mass-market tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon). The company claims its SABC production process is lower cost than TOPCon processes, easily upgraded from a TOPCon production line and more efficient and “elegant” than existing back-contact production processes.

Paolo Maccario, Silfab president and CEO, said the SABC technology was “specifically designed for the US market.”

He continued: “Acquiring these cutting -edge technology patents and intellectual property will enable us to develop the next generation of solar panels for the Silfab Elite Series and beyond, ensuring we continue to offer our customers high-quality, powerful solar modules manufactured in the US while preserving and protecting strategically important European and American innovation.”

Silfab is currently establishing a TOPCon solar cell manufacturing facility in South Carolina. The company has secured multiple rounds of funding for the project, which has been delayed due to local opposition.

TOPCon technology has become the dominant strand of PV cell technology in the last two years, adopted by the majority of the major global solar manufacturers to replace passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) technology.

Some technological experts and certain companies are betting on BC technology being the successor to TOPCon. In late 2023, professor Martin Green, the man credited with a major part in the invention of PERC technology, predicted that interdigitated back contact (IBC) technology would “win” the race against other technologies.

More recently, Radovan Kopecek, director of ISC Konstanz in Germany, has backed BC as the superlative crystalline silicon cell technology.  Speaking to PV Tech at Intersolar Europe in Munich earlier this month, Kopecek said he expected the technology to begin replacing TOPCon in the next two-to-three years on a large scale.

Industrially, China’s LONGi Green Energy and Aiko Solar have bet the most on BC technology. LONGi recently announced that it had deployed 10GW of BC technology modules in Europe and the company launched a 25% conversion efficiency heterojunction back contact (HBC) module at Intersolar Europe.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

October 24, 2025
The Saudi state-owned renewables developer Masdar has begun construction on a giant solar-plus-storage project in Abu Dhabi.
October 23, 2025
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy sold approximately 725MW of solar modules in Q3 2025, as it continues to expand US manufacturing capabilities.
October 23, 2025
Spanish power electronics specialist Ingeteam has won a contract to supply inverters and control systems for European Energy Australia's 100MW Winton North solar-plus-storage project in northeast Victoria.
October 23, 2025
Powerlink Queensland is seeking federal approval to expand its existing 330kV Bulli Creek Substation in Southern Queensland to accommodate the grid connection of Genex Power's 775MW Bulli Creek solar PV power plant.
October 23, 2025
Queensland's rooftop solar systems have exceeded 5GW of output for the first time, marking a milestone in Australia's solar expansion.
October 22, 2025
Recurrent Energy, Ampliform and Dimension Energy have announced new financing rounds this month for US solar projects.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal