HoloSolis eyes perovskite tandem future while scaling up TOPCon

French solar developer HoloSolis has secured a patent licensing agreement with Trina Solar, giving it access to the Chinese group’s advanced n-type TOPCon portfolio for its planned 5 GW solar cell and module factory in France. While this is a milestone for Europe’s solar industry, the bigger story may be what comes next.

HoloSolis has made clear its ambitions go beyond TOPCon: the company is actively exploring perovskite-silicon tandem cells, aiming to position itself in the race toward the industry’s next performance leap. Fraunhofer ISE is supporting the company with technology roadmapping, including strategic decisions on integrating tandem-perovskite architecture into future production lines.

This fits a broader European trend. Armor Group, a 20% shareholder in HoloSolis, has shifted its R&D focus away from organic PV toward tandem-perovskite cells on silicon. Other ecosystem players such as Heraeus have also invested, signaling recognition of perovskite’s pivotal role in the industrial roadmap.

Meanwhile, Trina Solar itself is deepening ties to the perovskite transition: earlier this year it announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Oxford PV, which holds key patents in perovskite-on-silicon tandem technology, to expand perovskite production in China.

So, while the current licensing agreement centers on TOPCon, tomorrow’s competitive edge in Europe may well come from how quickly and effectively players like HoloSolis can pivot their large-scale factories toward perovskite tandem modules—bringing ultra-high efficiency and Europe-made resilience together.