Brilliant Matters Inc., a Canadian developer of advanced organic photovoltaic (OPV) solutions, HeiQ, a global leader in deeptech material innovation, and Solar Factory, a research group of the Institute of Energy, Materials and Devices – Photovoltaics (IMD-3) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, announced the successful integration of HeiQ Xpectra silver nanowire technology into Brilliant Matters’ next-generation OPV platform, BM10, and the demonstration of its roll-to-roll compatibility, marking an important milestone in the development of high-performance semi-transparent photovoltaics.
Power conversion efficiencies exceed 11%
Integrated with HeiQ Xpectra transparent conductive electrode technology, BM10 has demonstrated power conversion efficiencies exceeding 11% in durable OPV prototypes, showing that semi-transparent OPV can deliver the transparency and electrical performance required for commercial applications. Within the EU project EMERGE, the partners also demonstrated the roll-to-roll compatibility of the combined technology at Solar Factory, enabling the manufacture of flexible, semi-transparent photovoltaic modules. Together, these advances position the technology to meet and ultimately exceed the “10-20” benchmark of more than 10% efficiency and over 20 years of operational lifetime, a milestone widely recognised as essential for the large-scale commercialisation of OPV.
As demand grows for aesthetically integrated renewable energy technologies, semi-transparent photovoltaics are becoming increasingly attractive for applications where conventional solar panels cannot easily be deployed, including photovoltaic windows, greenhouse glazing, and other architectural and design-driven products. OPV panels are particularly well suited to these applications because they are lightweight, flexible, compatible with low-cost scalable manufacturing, available in a wide range of transparency levels and because they provide thermal management properties in addition to power generation.
Enabling these applications requires conductive electrodes that combine high transparency, electrical conductivity, and compatibility with scalable industrial manufacturing. HeiQ Xpectra silver nanowire technology was successfully integrated into Brilliant Matters’ BM10 platform by Brilliant Matters and Solar Factory, demonstrating that simultaneously optimising optical and electrical performance is possible. The collaboration brings together Brilliant Matters’ expertise in organic semiconductor materials and OPV device architecture engineering, Solar Factory’s expertise in printable OPV and process integration, and HeiQ Xpectra technology for next-generation transparent electronics and energy applications. Together, the partners are establishing a scalable platform for the industrial production of high-performance, flexible, semi-transparent OPV panels.
Coexistence of outstanding performance and high transparency
“This collaboration demonstrates that outstanding photovoltaic performance and high transparency can coexist,” said Philippe Berrouard, Chief Technology Officer at Brilliant Matters. ”By combining our BM10 platform with HeiQ Xpectra technology and demonstrating its compatibility with roll-to-roll manufacturing together with Solar Factory, we are bringing a new generation of semi-transparent photovoltaic panels closer to reality and enabling seamless energy harvesting in products where aesthetics matter just as much as performance.”
Varun Vohra, Engineering Department Manager at Brilliant Matters, emphasised the importance of the close technical collaboration that underpinned these results. “HeiQ Xpectra provides an attractive alternative to the silver grid electrodes commonly used in OPV panels, enabling completely invisible current collectors that give product designers greater freedom to seamlessly integrate energy harvesting into their products while maintaining strong electrical performance. During the development of our semi-transparent OPV platform, we evaluated numerous silver nanowire materials and ultimately collaborated with HeiQ to optimise a solution that met the demanding optical, electrical, and manufacturing requirements for integration into our technology.”
“At HeiQ, we believe that the full potential of semi-transparent OPV can only be realised when all advanced materials within the device are engineered to work seamlessly together. Our collaboration with Brilliant Matters and Solar Factory demonstrates how material compatibility can unlock both maximum performance and long-term durability” said Dr. Oliver Zech, General Manager of HeiQ RAS.
Toward scalable manufacturing of semi-transparent OPV
“Demonstrating the compatibility of this technology with roll-to-roll processing is an important step toward scalable manufacturing of semi-transparent OPV,” said Michael Wagner, Group Leader at Forschungszentrum Jülich’s Solar Factory. “Through the EMERGE project, we have been able to combine complementary expertise across materials, device engineering, and manufacturing processes to demonstrate flexible photovoltaic modules using an approach designed with industrial scalability in mind.”
Building on these results, Brilliant Matters, HeiQ and Solar Factory will continue advancing the BM10 platform, HeiQ Xpectra OPV technology, and scalable manufacturing processes to expand commercialisation opportunities for semi-transparent photovoltaics that seamlessly integrate in buildings, infrastructure, and other design-driven applications.