Microquanta Semiconductor

Microquanta, a perovskite solar cell manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China, has announced its latest procurement of state-of-the-art vacuum deposition equipment from SMIT Thermal Solutions. This significant acquisition, surpassing 9 million Euros in value, marks a pivotal moment in Microquanta's journey towards launching the world's first gigawatt-scale (GW) perovskite solar cell factory in Hangzhou.

This collaboration with SMIT Thermal Solutions is not a first for Microquanta; the Dutch-based company has been a partner since 2018, starting with a pilot setup, followed by the delivery of a mass production system for Microquanta's 100MW factory. The latest deal involves cutting-edge next-generation mass production systems, tailored to meet the ambitious scale and efficiency goals of Microquanta's GW factory.

Microquanta has reported that its novel perovskite-based PV power station is now connected to the grid. The Company referred to it as a "perovskite commercial rooftop power station", erected over the water for fish farming applications. 

The perovskite power station is located in Qujiang district, Quzhou City, which is rich in water sources and farming. According to local conditions, it adopts the "onboard power generation and offboard farming" model. The installed capacity of the first phase is around 260 kW. The owner is Qujiang Construction Investment. 

Perovskite solar developer Microquanta and Xiaer Tela, a company specializing in floating PV applications, recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop water surface perovskite applications and various floating solar products. 

The Companies will jointly develop perovskite PV related products and power generation systems suitable for inland and offshore floating, and provide full-cycle support and services.

Perovskite solar panels have been under intensive R&D, and it seems as if commercial production is right around the corner. Some pilot-scale production lines are already functional, and companies are now ramping up production of perovskite panels, using various technologies.

UK-based Oxford PV, for example, recently announced that it has completed the build-out of its 100 MW manufacturing site in Germany, and it is on track to start full production in 2022. China's Microquanta Semiconductor perovskite panel factory is reportedly also nearing production (which should have started late 2020, but updates have not been available since), and another China-based company, GCL, has raised around $15 million USD to expand its pilot-scale production factory to mass production (100 MW).

Chinese perovskite module maker Microquanta has reported 20.2% conversion efficiency on a 20cm², 'third generation' solar cell. The Company said the result had been confirmed by Vhinese government's 'China Institute of Metrology'.

Microquanta said it takes stability and conversion efficiency as two fundamentals of perovskite solar modules and believes, with the help of improved efficiency and stability, the commercialization of such devices will be greatly accelerated.