Swiss-British university spinoff, GraphEnergyTech, is developing graphene electrode technology to replace silver and other metals traditionally used in solar cell manufacturing.
GraphEnergyTech, a U.K.-based company with operations in Switzerland, is developing highly conductive graphene-based electrodes for solar cells. Current research projects are using its patented approach in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells and perovskite solar cells.
The graphene material, which the company highlights offers chemical stability and cost-effectiveness, is compatible with typical industry processes, such as screen printing, doctor blading, and slot die coating processes. “We are working to provide a solution that is similar to inkjet printing (piezo-electric dispensers),” Thomas Baumeler, CEO of GraphEnergyTech, told pv magazine.
The company’s newest project is in partnership with the University of Cambridge, Taiwan-based Taiwan Perovskite Solar Corp (TPSC), a developer of both flexible and glass-based perovskite modules, and Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). The two-year collaboration aims to develop commercial perovskite solar modules based on TPSC technology, integrating GraphEnergyTech’s graphene electrodes and concurrently addressing cost reduction.
The project, GETPSC, short for Graphene Electrode Technology for Perovskite Solar Cells, began in January 2025. The project GBP 1.14 million ($1.47 million) project received a £884,129 grant from Innovate UK, the country’s national innovation agency.
The company is also participating in a three-year silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell-focused project to enable the replacement of silver electrodes. “We are formulating advanced carbon-based inks suitable for scalable printing techniques,” said Baumeler.
Referred to as SiLEAN, the Horizon Europe-funded project began in May 2024. It aims to reduce reliance on critical raw materials and enhance the scalability of SHJ solar cells, developing alternatives in the steps from wafers to interconnection using a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manufacturing process.
GraphEnergyTech’s co-founders include Michael Grätzel, director of EPFL Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces and dye-sensitized solar cell pioneer, Andrea Ferrari, founder and director of the University of Cambridge Graphene Centre, and university spinout specialist Frontier IP, based in the U.K.
It raised GBP 1 million in a 2024 financing round led by Aramco Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of Aramco.
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