Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Solar just hit its ceiling - or so we thought. What happens when a new material blows past silicon’s limits and pushes efficiency into the 30% range?
In this episode of Climate Confident, I speak with Aaron Thurlow, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at Caelux, a company leading the global shift to perovskite–silicon tandem solar. Aaron brings 25 years of experience scaling solar across SunPower, Silevo, National Semiconductor, LONGi and more — and he joins me to unpack a breakthrough that could redefine the economics, speed, and resilience of the energy transition.
You’ll hear how tandem modules deliver a step-change in performance: a 3–6 percentage point absolute efficiency boost today, and more than 30% efficiency on the horizon — something silicon alone can never reach. This isn’t lab-bench theory; Caelux has already shipped its first commercial Active Glass product, with more deployments coming in 2026.
We break down why this matters for the world’s fastest-growing electricity loads — AI data centres, manufacturing, electrified transport — and why perovskites could help countries build energy independence instead of relying on highly concentrated supply chains. Aaron also explains how perovskites can reduce the carbon footprint of solar, accelerate fossil fuel displacement, and keep project economics viable even as policy incentives shift.
You might be surprised to hear how fast this is moving: a decade of research has already delivered performance gains it took silicon half a century to achieve — and the next leap could arrive in just a couple of years. That’s the kind of acceleration climate action desperately needs.
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What’s your take? Let me know below 👇
CTAs & LINKS
🌐 Listen to the Climate Confident Podcast: climateconfidentpodcast.com
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on climate solutions, clean energy, and decarbonisation
👍 Like, comment, share — it really helps the channel
⏱ Timestamps below
CREDITS
Guest: Aaron Thurlow, Caelux
Website: caelux.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aaronthurlow
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Why power is the foundation of economic strength and AI growth
01:00 – Aaron’s 25 years in solar and how the industry transformed
03:00 – The true cost drop: from $4.50/watt to 10 cents/watt
05:00 – Silicon’s efficiency ceiling and the physics behind it
06:00 – What perovskites actually are — and why they change everything
07:00 – Active Glass explained: two power-generating layers in one module
09:00 – The step-change: 3–6% absolute efficiency gains
10:30 – How close are we to 30% solar?
12:00 – First commercial shipments and 2026 deployment roadmap
14:00 – Residential vs utility: who benefits most from tandems?
16:00 – Regionalised manufacturing and the global supply chain shift
18:00 – Solar’s future penetration: electricity, storage, hydrogen
20:00 – Policy headwinds, ITC expiry, and why efficiency matters
23:00 – Global markets vs US manufacturing resurgence
25:00 – Solar in India and Sub-Saharan Africa: leapfrog potential
27:00 – The biggest hurdles ahead: capital, grid, geopolitics
29:00 – Aaron’s message to policymakers and investors
31:00 – The next decade: why tandems will dominate the landscape
Solar just hit its ceiling - or so we thought. What happens when a new material blows past silicon’s limits and pushes efficiency into the 30% range?
In this episode of Climate Confident, I speak with Aaron Thurlow, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at Caelux, a company leading the global shift to perovskite–silicon tandem solar. Aaron brings 25 years of experience scaling solar across SunPower, Silevo, National Semiconductor, LONGi and more — and he joins me to unpack a breakthrough that could redefine the economics, speed, and resilience of the energy transition.
You’ll hear how tandem modules deliver a step-change in performance: a 3–6 percentage point absolute efficiency boost today, and more than 30% efficiency on the horizon — something silicon alone can never reach. This isn’t lab-bench theory; Caelux has already shipped its first commercial Active Glass product, with more deployments coming in 2026.
We break down why this matters for the world’s fastest-growing electricity loads — AI data centres, manufacturing, electrified transport — and why perovskites could help countries build energy independence instead of relying on highly concentrated supply chains. Aaron also explains how perovskites can reduce the carbon footprint of solar, accelerate fossil fuel displacement, and keep project economics viable even as policy incentives shift.
You might be surprised to hear how fast this is moving: a decade of research has already delivered performance gains it took silicon half a century to achieve — and the next leap could arrive in just a couple of years. That’s the kind of acceleration climate action desperately needs.
ENGAGEMENT CTA
What’s your take? Let me know below 👇
CTAs & LINKS
🌐 Listen to the Climate Confident Podcast: climateconfidentpodcast.com
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on climate solutions, clean energy, and decarbonisation
👍 Like, comment, share — it really helps the channel
⏱ Timestamps below
CREDITS
Guest: Aaron Thurlow, Caelux
Website: caelux.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aaronthurlow
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Why power is the foundation of economic strength and AI growth
01:00 – Aaron’s 25 years in solar and how the industry transformed
03:00 – The true cost drop: from $4.50/watt to 10 cents/watt
05:00 – Silicon’s efficiency ceiling and the physics behind it
06:00 – What perovskites actually are — and why they change everything
07:00 – Active Glass explained: two power-generating layers in one module
09:00 – The step-change: 3–6% absolute efficiency gains
10:30 – How close are we to 30% solar?
12:00 – First commercial shipments and 2026 deployment roadmap
14:00 – Residential vs utility: who benefits most from tandems?
16:00 – Regionalised manufacturing and the global supply chain shift
18:00 – Solar’s future penetration: electricity, storage, hydrogen
20:00 – Policy headwinds, ITC expiry, and why efficiency matters
23:00 – Global markets vs US manufacturing resurgence
25:00 – Solar in India and Sub-Saharan Africa: leapfrog potential
27:00 – The biggest hurdles ahead: capital, grid, geopolitics
29:00 – Aaron’s message to policymakers and investors
31:00 – The next decade: why tandems will dominate the landscape
