As the clean energy transition accelerates, solar power is no longer a future bet—it’s the backbone of the new energy economy. In 2024, nearly 90 percent of all new energy capacity came from clean sources—primarily solar, wind, and battery storage. But while solar is booming, one critical challenge remains: most core panel technologies and materials are still produced overseas, with China dominating the global photovoltaic supply chain. One Silicon Valley startup is aiming to shift that dynamic. Tandem PV, a California-based company, is developing a new kind of solar panel that’s not only more powerful but also designed to help restore U.S. leadership in solar manufacturing. At the core of its breakthrough is perovskite, a next-generation crystalline material that, when paired with traditional silicon, captures more sunlight and produces significantly more power than standard panels. “This new technology is a chance to leap ahead because it’s fundamentally different from what conventional silicon offers,” says Tandem PV CEO Scott Wharton. “The U.S. once led the world in solar innovation. We gave that up. It’s time to reclaim that leadership.” More Power , Less Land , Lower Costs Tandem PV’s solution is known as a tandem solar panel, where a thin perovskite layer sits atop a stack of silicon cells. The dual-layer architecture captures a broader range of sunlight, increasing efficiency from the industry standard of around 21 percent to a potential 28–30 percent. That increased performance could reshape the economics of solar energy, especially at scale. Unlike traditional silicon panels—which require massive energy inputs and complex manufacturing—perovskite layers are extremely thin, easier to produce, and highly efficient at capturing light. This technological leap is more than an academic breakthrough. Tandem’s panels pack more energy into every square foot, which is a major advantage for utility-scale solar projects, the company’s primary market. Most of the cost of a solar installation (around 80 percent) isn’t the panels themselves but the land, labor, and infrastructure needed to install and maintain them. By producing more power per panel, Tandem PV’s technology can shrink the size—and the price tag—of solar installations. “Land and labor are expensive,” says Wharton. “With power demand skyrocketing, especially from AI data centers, efficiency isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential.”