⚡ Quick Read
- What happened: Tongwei Solar and Golden Solar (Quanzhou) have signed a strategic agreement to develop a mass-production facility for hybrid heterojunction back-contact (HBC) solar cells.
- Why it matters: The partnership combines Tongwei’s massive manufacturing scale with GS-Solar’s high-efficiency HBC technology, potentially lowering costs for next-generation solar modules.
- Watch: Future announcements regarding the specific factory location and total production capacity for this hybrid technology.
Background and Context
On March 18, 2026, Tongwei Solar, a subsidiary of Tongwei Co Ltd, entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Golden Solar (Quanzhou) New Energy Technology Co Ltd. The partnership aims to transition hybrid heterojunction back-contact (HBC) solar cell technology from laboratory research to large-scale industrial mass production. This move marks a significant expansion of Tongwei’s technology portfolio, which already encompasses TOPCon, HJT, and various BC-related architectures.
Key Details
The collaboration leverages the distinct strengths of both entities. Tongwei Solar will contribute its extensive manufacturing capacity, production facilities, supply chain resources, and operational management expertise. GS-Solar serves as the primary technology provider, supplying its hybrid HBC cell design, GW-scale integrated equipment, and mass-production process solutions. Additionally, Golden Solar will provide essential patents, commissioning experience, and ongoing process support.
The hybrid HBC technology is designed to integrate multiple advanced cell concepts: heterojunction passivation from HJT cells, tunneling oxide and polysilicon structures from TOPCon, and a grid-free front-side design characteristic of back-contact technologies. GS-Solar has reported impressive laboratory conversion efficiency gains for this technology, climbing from 27.08% in March 2023 to 27.62% by November 2024.
What This Means for EPCs and Developers
For Indian EPC contractors and solar developers, this partnership signals a potential shift in the global supply chain toward higher-efficiency modules at competitive price points. By simplifying processing steps while maintaining high conversion efficiencies, hybrid HBC technology aims to reduce the overall manufacturing cost of solar cells. As Tongwei scales this technology, developers can expect a new tier of high-performance modules to enter the market, potentially improving the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for future utility-scale projects in India.
What Happens Next
While the specific location and capacity of the new factory remain undisclosed, the companies have established a coordination mechanism to optimize production processes and drive down costs. This agreement follows a series of similar moves by GS-Solar, including recent projects with JA Solar to upgrade existing PERC lines to HBC technology. Industry observers should monitor how quickly Tongwei can integrate these processes into its global supply chain and when these hybrid HBC modules will become commercially available for international procurement.
