Suniva, the oldest crystalline cell manufacturer in the United States and North America, has entered into a partnership with ISC Konstanz, a German solar energy research center for cell, module, and energy systems.
As per the collaboration since March 2025, ISC Konstanz has helped Suniva optimize the 1 GW PERC cell production lines located in Norcross, Georgia.
Founded in 2007 out of Georgia Tech’s University Center for Excellence in Photovoltaics, Suniva has developed over 150 solar cell patents. All the research was backed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The company focuses on high-efficiency, U.S.-made cells and collaborates with module assemblers and project developers across the solar value chain.
ISC Konstanz is a non-profit research institute founded in 2005, focused on solar cell, module, and renewable energy system development. With a team of over 60 scientists, engineers, and students, it collaborates with leading global institutes and companies on national and international photovoltaic research projects.
With the help of ISC Konstanz, the process recipes at Suniva’s cell lines have been adjusted to enhance production throughput and achieve increased product efficiency. These, according to both parties, are key factors for economic viability at a time when there is overcapacity in U.S. module manufacturing and rising demand for domestically-produced solar components.
These are also the reasons why PERC, a mature cell technology, has been selected by Suniva. The company states that the relationship with ISC Konstanz was productive in scaling cell capacity.
“The evolving U.S. regulatory landscape places extreme importance on the need for domestically-produced solar cells. Our partnership with ISC Konstanz provides Suniva with an exceptional pool of expertise that is allowing us to respond rapidly to market needs,” says Matt Card, President of Suniva.
Most of the equipment for the cell lines comes from German manufacturers, which is also beneficial for ISC Konstanz. Lejo Joseph, Project Manager at ISC, takes pride in the support they offered Suniva as part of this relationship.
“This project is especially meaningful for ISC Konstanz, as a high percentage of production equipment comes from German manufacturers. We take pride in saying: A clean energy transition, made in Germany/Baden-Württemberg!” says Joseph. ISC also notes that Suniva’s PERC lines have further potential to incorporate LECO, a technique that has gained popularity with current TOPCon technology.
Suniva, in its ongoing efforts to scale up 1 GW of PERC cell capacity, will supply cells to Heliene for module production as part of a previously announced agreement. The partnership also involves Corning, which plans to begin supplying U.S.-made wafers in August 2025. Together, the three companies aim to establish a fully domestic solar supply chain. More about this story: New US-Made Solar Module Boasts 'Highest' Domestic Content.
