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⦁ Perovskite-silicon tandem cells stack two light-absorbing layers to produce more electricity per unit of area and weight. Qcells reported 28.6% certified efficiency on a full-area M10 tandem cell. In 2026, it became the first company to receive certification from TÜV Rheinland, confirming that its tandem modules meet both IEC and UL standards.
⦁ As part of the STEFF-1 mission, led by the GTRI in collaboration with the NASA, Qcells’ tandem solar cells will be mounted on a lunar lander. They will be exposed to vacuum, radiation, and extreme temperature swings, generating data that will feed back into research programs in Germany and Korea.
⦁ Hanwha Solutions and Hanwha Systems are jointly advancing high-efficiency tandem solar technology for satellites, with planned in-orbit demonstrations and a pathway toward commercialization in VLEO, followed by potential future expansion to LEO and MEO satellite platforms.
Hanwha Qcells’ next-generation solar technology is about to be tested in one of the most demanding environments imaginable: the Moon. 
 
As part of the Space Science and Technology Evaluation Facility-1 (SSTEF-1) mission, led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in collaboration with NASA, the company’s perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells will be installed on the exterior of a lunar lander and exposed to the extreme conditions of space. The data collected will help accelerate the development of next-generation solar technology by showing how these cells perform in an environment that simply cannot be recreated on Earth. 
 
The mission comes at a defining moment for the solar industry. Global investment in solar is approaching $1 billion a day, with spending expected to reach about $365 billion in 2026 — more than for any other power generation technology, according to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Investment 2026 report. Growth is being fueled by rising demand from AI data centers, increased electrification, and a stronger focus on energy security. 
 
Silicon has driven the industry’s rapid growth, but it’s nearing its practical limits. Conventional silicon solar cells have a theoretical efficiency ceiling of 29.4%, while the best laboratory cells have already reached 27.9%, leaving little room for further gains. To generate more power from the same surface area and reduce weight, the industry needs a new approach. While high-performance solar cells already power existing space infrastructure, they remain roughly 100 times more expensive than terrestrial modules due to complex manufacturing processes. Bridging this gap requires a technology that combines extreme efficiency with the low-cost scalability of Earth-based solar. 
What comes after conventional silicon? 
 
Perovskite-silicon tandem cells have emerged as one of the most promising solutions, with research and development advancing across Europe, Asia, and North America. By combining two light-absorbing materials instead of one, tandem cells can capture more of the solar spectrum and generate more electricity from the same surface area. A perovskite layer absorbs higher-energy light, while the silicon layer beneath captures the remaining wavelengths, allowing the cell to generate more electricity without increasing its footprint. 
 
Qcells reported 28.6% certified efficiency for a full-area M10 tandem cell verified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE). Because these results were reached using commercial manufacturing processes, they represent a critical bridge between laboratory success and industrial mass production. Durability is the harder problem for any new cell chemistry. The company’s tandem modules passed IEC and UL stress sequences verified by TÜV Rheinland, including rigorous thermal cycling and damp heat tests, demonstrating their reliability. 
Why test a solar cell on the lunar surface? 
 
The next question is not only how efficiently these cells perform in the laboratory, but also how they withstand the harshest operating environments. That is why Qcells’ next-generation tandem solar technology is heading to the Moon. 
 
As part of the SSTEF-1 mission, Qcells’ perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells will be exposed to vacuum, intense ultraviolet and cosmic radiation, lunar dust, and dramatic temperature swings. The cells will experience conditions that no terrestrial testing facility can reproduce simultaneously. The requirements of the destination are well suited to the technology. Lunar and long-duration missions need power that is light, efficient, and durable because every kilogram carries a launch cost, and the hardware has to keep working for years without servicing. 
 
While laboratories can isolate individual stresses such as radiation, thermal cycling, or vacuum, the lunar surface exposes solar cells to all of these factors at once over extended periods. The mission offers a rare opportunity to understand how tandem cells respond to the combined effects of the space environment, providing data that can improve future cell design, material selection, and long-term reliability. Those insights will support not only future space applications but also the continued development of high-efficiency solar technology for use on Earth.
 
Rendered image of a lunar payload delivery service lander, which will carry the SSTEF-1
Image credit: NASA
What makes work at the frontier possible? 
 
As one of the world’s leading solar energy solutions providers, Qcells has made long-term investments in tandem technology, with its contribution to SSTEF-1 building on the capabilities it is already deploying at scale. 
 
Holding nearly 40% of the U.S. residential market share, Qcells operates a vertically integrated domestic supply chain in Georgia with 8.6 GW of annual capacity. Utility-scale projects include the Reclamation Solar Project in Indiana, built by Zelestra under a power purchase agreement with Meta. This manufacturing expertise, which includes the capacity to produce everything from ingots to modules in a single facility, provides the industrial foundation necessary for Qcells to successfully transition next-generation tandem solar from the lab to large-scale deployment. 
 
In addition, Hanwha Solutions, the parent organization of Qcells, and Hanwha Systems are jointly developing high-efficiency solar cell and panel technologies for satellites.
 
Through 2028, Hanwha Solutions will lead R&D focused on improving high-efficiency cell design and performance and verifying reliability in space. The company will develop power solutions optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO), where power efficiency, lightweight structures and resilience across demanding space environments are critical. The companies also plan to conduct in-orbit demonstrations to validate the technology and evaluate its performance under real space conditions. 
 
Through joint R&D, Hanwha aims to move toward commercialization by integrating tandem cells into Hanwha Systems’ very low Earth orbit ultra-high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (VLEO UHR SAR) satellites, while further developing the technology for use across other orbital environments.  
How is the space solar effort being organized? 
 
A space solar development team was formed within the company’s technology division in June 2026, with recruitment focused on space materials, satellite design, and space-environment reliability, alongside plans for a research center in the United States. 
 
The mission will return data, not products. Qcells was selected for SSTEF-1 because of its leadership in next-generation solar technology and its expertise in high-efficiency photovoltaics. As solar energy takes on a larger share of the global electricity supply, the technologies that support it will be developed in laboratories, proven in factories, and, increasingly, tested in places where nothing else has been. 
 
The data collected on the Moon will provide valuable insights into how advanced solar materials perform in the extreme lunar environment. Those findings could help accelerate the development of tandem solar technology, leading to more efficient and reliable solar solutions for both Earth and future space missions, while supporting the next generation of clean energy innovation. 
Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division
A complete clean energy solutions provider leading the energy transition with a diverse business portfolio throughout the world.
Hanwha Solutions
A world-leading solutions provider delivering sustainable solutions, from smart energy innovations to customer-focused materials.
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