The Future of Solar Energy: Enhancing Efficiency through Innovative Printing Techniques

The ability to harness the energy of the sun has existed for millenia, with evidence of magnifying and mirroring techniques used to light fires dating back to Ancient Greece. When we talk about solar energy today, however, it bears little resemblance to these ancient practices. Rather, it has its roots in the 1950s, when scientists at Bell Labs developed the first silicon photovoltaic cell capable of converting the sun’s rays into electrical power.^[1]

Fast forward several decades and solar power represents a growing share of energy sources globally, with the International Energy Association (IEA) predicting that between 2024 and 2030, it will account for 80% of the growth in global renewable capacity, an increase driven by the construction of solar power plants and growing adoption of rooftop solar panels.^[2]

While solar energy is growing rapidly, there are still some hurdles keeping it from reaching its full potential, such as the cost of the equipment and the efficiency of solar panels. In recent years, however, 3D printing has emerged as a solution that can help take solar power to the next level.

Manufacturing Solar Panels

Solar panels generate power through the reaction of the sun’s rays hitting photovoltaic cells. These cells are made from two layers of silicone, one positively charged and the other negatively charged, creating an electric field. When the sun rays hit the solar panel, the light frees electrons in the cells, which are then transported by the electric field, generating a direct current. In order to power homes, this current must be converted into an alternating current, which is achieved using a solar inverter.

Presently, the main method for manufacturing solar panels involves several labour-intensive and energy-intensive steps, including the production of Polysilicon, the processing of the silicone into an ingot, and the slicing of the ingots into wafers using diamond-coated wire saws. The silicone wafers must then be post-processed using a combination of techniques, like chemical texturing, coatings, and screenprinting of conductive traces, before final assembly and encapsulation in protective glass and polymer housings.^[3] All in all, this production approach is associated with high costs, high energy use, and significant waste. That’s where additive manufacturing technologies come in. 

Printing Solar Panels

While still an emerging technology for the production of solar panels, printing has the potential to radically transform how the renewable energy equipment is made, allowing for more cost-efficient production, as well as faster, more scalable manufacturing, and greater customization opportunities. 

These benefits are the result of the nature of additive printing processes, which are engineered to selectively and precisely deposit materials onto a substrate—reducing material waste. On top of that, printing technologies are digitally controlled, which means they print patterns based on a CAD design. This allows for users to benefit from fast production setups and eliminates reliance on manufacturing tools and multi-step production processes. In terms of cost, additive manufacturing technology has the ability to print functional materials onto low-cost substrates to impart photovoltaic properties, including polymer films (i.e. PET). In one research project out of the University of Newcastle in Australia, production costs were estimated at under $10 per square meter.^[4]

When we look at scalability in particular, one of the most game-changing printing technologies in this segment is roll-to-roll printing (R2R). This printing technique, though still not industrially mature, involves the continuous deposition of materials (like perovskite, organic compounds, and conductive inks) onto a flexible substrate in selective patterns. This process not only eliminates the need for silicone wafers, it is also highly scalable and can produce more discreet solar panels, including flexible solar cells that can conform to building features and even car roofs.^[5]

The Future of Solar Energy

While the role of additive manufacturing technology in the production of solar panels is still largely limited to the research field and small-scale applications, there is enormous potential for it in the future. 

As the technology matures, printed solar cells could become key to increasing the adoption of solar energy. Not only because solar panels will be more affordable, but also because they will be less bulky and unsightly. Picture a thin, flexible sheet that could be seamlessly applied to curved structures and even textiles to generate power far more discreetly. Moreover, thanks to the mass customization unlocked by additive manufacturing processes, solar panels could be tailored to meet specific requirements and be made to conform to unconventional architectural structures, rather than the other way around. 

Down the line, 3D printing could also unlock greater power conversion efficiency, using a combination of advanced materials with photovoltaic properties and micro-scale structures optimized for light absorption. Being able to enhance the efficiency of solar power conversion at much a level, made possible through nanomaterial printing technologies like XTPL’s Ultra-Precise Dispensing (UPD), would mean that solar cells could become far more compact, thus requiring less space for the same amount of energy generation.

Of course, more than technological advancements are needed for this future to materialize: significant investments and government policies are imperative for solar energy to really reach its full potential.

Resources

[1] The History of Solar. U.S. Department of Energy, 2025. https://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/solar_timeline.pdf 

[2] Solar PV. International Energy Association (IEA), 2025. https://www.iea.org/energy-system/renewables/solar-pv 

[3] Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Basics. U.S. Department of Energy, 2025. https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-photovoltaic-manufacturing-basics 

[4] Public Debut for Printed Solar. University of Newcastle Australia, 2020. https://www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured/public-debut-for-printed-solar 

[5] Parvazian E, Watson T. The roll-to-roll revolution to tackle the industrial leap for perovskite solar cells. nature communications. 2024 May 11;15(1):3983.