Financial

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has announced plans to subsidize overseas trials of perovskite solar cells. This strategic initiative is set to begin in the 2026 fiscal year and aims to accelerate the commercialization perovskite solar technology.

The program underscores Japan’s ambition to secure a leading position in the future of renewable energy. By supporting international installation demonstrations, the government is not just funding research but actively building a global market for Japanese innovation. The government’s push is designed to move this technology from the laboratory to real-world environments across different climates and conditions. METI plans to start soliciting proposals for these overseas trial installations by fiscal year 2026, paving the way for practical validation and market acceptance.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has announced $4.5 million in funding for 23 clean energy and climate technology projects. This investment will accelerate innovation and business growth in 13 cities and towns across Massachusetts. Among these is Cubic PV, that secured $300,000 to improve material quality, which will improve performance for solar panels.

The grants are awarded through four of MassCEC’s programs: AmplifyMass, Catalyst, Diversity in Climatetech - Early Stage (DICES), and InnovateMass. MassVentures also supports Catalyst, DICES, and InnovateMass.

Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry has selected two manufacturers to which it will provide support with the goal of establishing mass production technology for next-generation perovskite solar cells. The chosen firms are chemical manufacturer Kaneka Corp. and major residential solar power system manufacturer Choshu Industry Co..

The ministry will subsidize a total of 9.4 billion yen (almost US$60 million) in development costs through fiscal 2030, aiming to establish the production of cells in sufficient quantity to generate 1 gigawatt of energy per year.

GraphEnergyTech recently shared an update on its recent progress, funding goals, and strategic direction within the solar energy sector.

GraphEnergyTech’s selection for Japan’s Keihanna Global Acceleration Program (KGAP+) marks a significant milestone as the company’s graphene-enhanced carbon electrode technology aligns closely with Japan’s advanced perovskite solar cell ecosystem. A portfolio company of Frontier IP Group PLC (LSE:FIPP, FRA:8WT), GraphEnergyTech is currently raising a minimum of £3 million in a seed funding round. The capital will be used primarily to expand production capacity and accelerate R&D focused on silicon solar cells. However, CEO Dr. Thomas Baumeler noted that the company also has “a solution that fits particularly well with perovskite solar cells.”

Verde Technologies has announced that is was chosen as a recipient of the 2026 Leahy Grant through the University of Vermont (UVM) Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships.

The project, "Empowering Vermont Farms", is a collaborative initiative to study and demonstrate lightweight solar technologies on barns and rural structures that can’t support conventional panels. This project is spearheaded by Verde in partnership with the University of Vermont, the Land care cooperative, von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort, and multiple local farms across Vermont.

Drinda, the parent company of solar cell manufacturer JTPV, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with satellite solar cell producer Shangyi Optoelectronics. 

As part of the agreement, Drinda will make an equity investment in Shangyi as a strategic shareholder. The 2 parties aim to cooperate on the application of perovskite solar cell technology in space energy systems, covering technology R&D, in-orbit validation, industrialization, and the expansion of application scenarios.

It was recently announced that Shaanxi Lighte Optoelectronics Material Co., Ltd. (LTOM), a manufacturer of OLED organic materials, plans to enter the perovskite solar cell research and development (R&D) and manufacturing field. 

The company intends to raise up to RMB 766 million (over US$108 million) through the issuance of convertible bonds. Of this amount, RMB 500 million (over US$70 million) will be invested in constructing new production workshops in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, supporting the development and manufacturing of OLED intermediates, OLED pre-sublimation materials, pharmaceutical intermediates, and perovskite materials.

South Korea has reportedly dedicated KRW 33.6 billion (approximately US$22.9 million) to support research and development in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell technology, aiming to bring 28%-efficient modules to market by 2030.

According to South Korea's Minister of Economy and Finance, Koo Yun-cheol, the initiative is designed to strengthen the country’s photovoltaic industry by developing commercially viable perovskite-silicon tandem products. This effort is part of a larger national program that also targets progress in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), among other advanced technologies.

It was recently reported that an R&D project for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells was approved for JA Solar (Yiwu Jin'ao Heguang New Energy Co., Ltd.).

The total investment in the project reaches 423.754 million yuan (almost US$60 million). The Company plans to build a new R&D center, purchase core R&D equipment such as laser grooving machines, plate-type PECVD, plate-type PVD, and integrated packaging equipment, and match supporting automated systems to advance the R&D progress of high-efficiency perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell technology.

GCL Technology has secured a major investment - US$700 million from Infini Global Master Fund (finalized on November 7, 2025) - with the backing of international and Middle Eastern investors focused on technology. 

The new funds will help GCL's push towards perovskite technology  production and commercialization, and also its production ramp up of materials like polysilicon (used in solar panels) and silane gas (vital for chips and advanced solar cells).