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While the coating is thin, it adds a lot of extra power for little added cost.
Photo Credit: Tandem PV
Solar manufacturer Tandem PV says it has developed a new, highly efficient solar panel and is about to put it on sale. 
The company says it has already received nearly $1 billion in preorders. Its next big step is to move its products from the lab to large commercial projects, in hopes of helping people reduce their utility bills and businesses, as well as helping communities generate more electricity. 
Before a broader commercial rollout, Tandem plans to launch paid pilot projects with independent power producers to evaluate the technology under real operating conditions, according to PV Magazine. 
The data from the pilot installations could support the bankability process, which CEO Scott Wharton said may take roughly six to 12 months, PV Magazine reported. 
Even though it has raised $100 million from investors, full mass production isn’t expected until 2028. 
Tandem is also aiming for gigawatt-scale manufacturing in 2028 and says that, if development stays on track, it could have a 34%-efficient panel. The average panel today turns about 22% to 24% of sunlight into electricity. 
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More efficient panels mean more electricity from the same amount of roof or land space, and they’re less expensive than many options already on the market. 
The panel’s efficiency is due to a thin coating of a material called “perovskite” on the glass of the solar panel cells. While the coating is thin, it adds a lot of extra power for not that much added cost. 
Wharton added that the company’s latest glass-glass modules showed no measurable degradation after a year outdoors, according to PV magazine.
It could also open the door to more U.S.-based sourcing, which may help projects qualify for domestic content and manufacturing tax credits while reducing exposure to some tariff pressures.
The company aims to develop a 1,000-watt panel as well, which would be far more powerful than any panel on the market today. 
“We just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, do what you have to do, and then magic will happen,” Wharton said. 
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