Research today
lead tomorrow
Meeting the challenges of the energy transition will require more than just a global presence. It demands the ability to consistently push the boundaries of what a technology can do.
CTF Solar’s research and development work is conducted primarily at our dedicated facility in Dresden, Germany, where an international team of physicists, chemists, and engineers develops CdTe solar cell technology and thin-film manufacturing processes. Our R&D programme covers two connected areas: advancing CdTe photovoltaic performance and applying thin-film deposition expertise to a new generation of solar-driven hydrogen panels.
Partnerships and funding — innovation’s multipliers
CTF Solar collaborates with research institutions and organisations across Europe, Asia, and North America. Current partners include Fraunhofer FEP (Germany), SunHydrogen, Inc. (USA), and the Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry (China).
CdTe Cell Development
Certified efficiency: 21.5%.
In October 2025, CTF Solar achieved a certified CdTe solar cell efficiency of 21.5%, independently verified by the Laboratory for Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Conversion at Coburg University of Applied Sciences. This result places our technology among the highest-performing CdTe cells recorded.
Our roadmap targets continued efficiency improvements toward 25%, alongside a focus on reducing material and energy input per cell.
Solar-to-Hydrogen R&D
CdTe thin-film technology has properties – spectral response, deposition scalability, and cost-per-area – that make it well suited not only for conventional photovoltaic applications, but also as the active substrate in photoelectrochemical hydrogen production panels.
CTF Solar’s R&D team has been investigating direct hydrogen electrolysis on CdTe solar panels since 2023. This work underpins our manufacturing collaboration with SunHydrogen, Inc., in which CTF Solar’s thin-film deposition processes are applied to produce hydrogen-generating panels that convert sunlight and water directly into hydrogen – without the need for a separate electrolyzer system.
CTF Solar is participating in projects together with Fraunhofer FEP. The projects are being conducted with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) awarded to the German state of Saxony. One of the projects seeks to further decrease the already low energy and material input required for the production of CdTe solar cells to reduce the environmental impact of solar cell production.
