Arizona-based First Solar has signed an agreement with quantum dot nanotechnology developer UbiQD (“ubiquity”) to bring quantum dots (QD) into its thin film bifacial solar panels. The multi-year deal could be a big leap forward for boosting solar efficiency.

This supply deal sets UbiQD up to scale to potentially more than 100 metric tons of QD production annually. It’s the next step after a joint R&D project the two companies started in 2023.

The partnership comes at a time when the US is scrambling to keep up with soaring demand from AI, data centers, and manufacturing.

“This is a turning point for the quantum dot industry,” said UbiQD founder and CEO Hunter McDaniel. The Los Alamos, New Mexico-based company says this is the first high-volume QD supply agreement outside of high-end TV displays. UbiQD’s goal? Better solar performance without blowing up costs.

UbiQD’s core quantum dot tech came out of Los Alamos National Laboratory and MIT. When these tiny dots, just a few nanometers in size, are built into a solar panel’s encapsulant, the dots can more than double the bifacial quantum efficiency of light conversion for specific wavelengths and colors – a big win in a global race for more efficient solar.

Even incremental gains in bifacial performance can mean major energy gains at utility scale, said First Solar CTO Markus Gloeckler. “We’re excited about the potential for quantum dot technology to contribute meaningful gains to the performance of our bifacial modules.” The commercial rollout is set for late 2026.

The announcement follows UbiQD’s $20 million Series B round in April, which will help fund the build of a huge quantum dot factory in New Mexico.

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