Draft:Tandem PV

Tandem PV is a Silicon Valley-based startup founded in 2016. The company is working to commercialize perovskite technology, a potential alternative to traditional silicon solar panels. Tandem PV was founded by Colin Bailie, its CTO, and Chris Eberspacher, its managing director. Colin Bailie published the first peer-reviewed studies on perovskite-silicon tandem solar panels as a Stanford University doctoral candidate and holds a PhD in materials science and engineering from Stanford. Chris Eberspacher holds experience in solar technology, working at some of the world's largest solar companies. Bailie and Eberspacher launched the company while at Cyclotron Road, the U.S. Dept. of Energy startup accelerator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory supporting entrepreneurial innovations with potential for global commercial impact. Tandem PV named former Vice President and General Manager of Logitech B2B Scott Wharton as CEO in 2023.

By January 2024, Tandem PV had raised a total of $27 million in venture capital and government funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the California Energy Commission and other entities. Tandem PV plans to build a first facility to manufacture its first panels for electric utilities.

Technological developments
Tandem PV's design boosts the output of conventional silicon solar cells by stacking them with thin-film perovskite materials. The company is developing commercial-size tandem perovskite panels, currently at 26% efficiency. It has demonstrated the equivalent of decades of projected durability in the lab, has begun outdoor testing, and plans to obtain independent industry-standard validation of efficiency and durability during 2024.

Perovskite-silicon solar panels have the potential to reach up to about 45% efficiency, whereas traditional silicon cells have a theoretical limit around 29%. Perovskite-silicon solar panels also require less energy and are easier to manufacture than conventional silicon-based panels.