How Caelux Is Making Solar Energy More Powerful and Cost Effective

Green.org had the opportunity to sit down with Scott Graybael, the CEO of Caelux, to learn how they are making solar energy more powerful and cost effective. Before we get started, let’s get to know Scott a little better.

Scott Graybeal serves as CEO at Caelux, a pioneer in utilizing perovskites to make solar energy more powerful and cost-effective, enabling the next generation of solar innovation. 

Caelux is at the forefront of the emerging science of perovskites, a special class of nanomaterials. Its flagship product, Caelux™ One is an innovative product that integrates seamlessly into existing PV module manufacturing processes, boosting performance, reducing installed costs, and accelerating the proliferation of solar. 

Scott is a veteran executive who previously led the Energy Solutions Segment at Flex Ltd (NASDAQ: FLEX), a $2B division within the company serving the solar, energy storage, and LED lighting markets. Under his leadership, Flex Energy Solutions grew 700%, became the #3 producer of PV modules outside of mainland China, and patented several key solar manufacturing innovations.

Scott, thanks for being here. Could you tell  us about your background & the mission of your company? 

Scott: I’ve been in solar for sixteen years in both commercial and operations roles. My entry into the energy industry started as a nuclear submarine officer in the 90s where I learned the fundamentals of power generation and distribution.  I went into the semiconductor industry for a few years, but wanted to have a direct impact on very big, society-scale problems.  Given my background in energy, chemistry & materials science, I gravitated to solar. Aside from a brief stint in green construction, I have spent the majority of my career in this industry. 

When Caelux was presented to me as a great leadership opportunity, I was unfamiliar with the technology, perovskites. But after a few weeks of study and discussion, I came to realize that this was a transformational technology; a way advanced chemistry and physics could be leveraged to make solar better – that is what we are about: Make Solar Better.

Why is it important for solar to advance technologically in order to have an impact at scale?

Scott: To gain perspective, we should wind the clock back to the 1970s and look at how solar modules were made and what they were made from and then look at the products today.  Someone without detailed industry knowledge would think that the majority of solar modules look about the same, perform about the same and are made from the same stuff– they would not be wrong. In the 1970s the best silicon-based panels produced 140 watts per square meter; today the best industrial scale modules produce about 230 watts per square meter – that’s a little better than 50% improvement and it’s getting more expensive and harder to squeeze more juice from silicon.  Only on the other hand, Caelux’s Active Glass technology, in combination with crystalline silicon, will deliver a significant boost.

In practical terms, a 23% efficiency module  (230 watts per square meter) will deliver almost 290 watts per square meter or be 29% more efficient using Caelux. 

The reason this is important is that while we read about excess capacity of solar modules, these panels are either disqualified from use in many countries outside the PRC or are subject to punitive tariffs limiting the markets where they can be sold.  Supply is constrained given the movement from ‘globalization’ to ‘nationalization’ or ‘regionalization’  in many countries. More nations are incentivizing local content either through trade barriers or domestic content incentive schemes.  

There are other factors as well: large tracts of land are not as widely available as they once were either due to NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) or other geographic constraints; interest rates are higher which puts pressure on investor returns and construction costs are higher- we’ve seen a 30% increase in the US over the last two years.  

On the demand side, data center hyperscalers are putting pressure on renewable energy developers to provide cheaper green electrons; electrification of everything from transportation to cooktops are on the rise and new climate technologies such as green hydrogen and direct air carbon capture have an insatiable appetite for low cost renewable electricity. 

Caelux addresses all these concerns with Caelux(™) Active Glass used in producing hybrid-tandem modules that produce more energy at a lower cost with less real estate needed.  Plus, we are developing manufacturing sites in key geographies to take advantage of the shift toward on-shoring or near-shoring.

Why are perovskites as an industry disruptive technology key to the next phase of Solar 3.0?

Scott: Perovskites are amazing nanomaterials with more applications being discovered every year.  Caelux’s perovskite solution is made from abundant raw materials, is manufactured with low energy consumption techniques and produces powerful solar cells with industry leading durability.

Could you describe some of your own company’s milestones?

Scott: It’s been an incredible journey, starting with small, lab scale devices and migrating to larger and larger device sizes. Today, in Los Angeles, we are fabricating 2 square meter functional devices and shipping these to global customers for testing and evaluation.  We will launch our v0 product to select customers  in a few short months and our global release product mid-next year.

How do you envision your industry looking in 10 years if solar power grows in the way that your company mission intends for it to scale?

Scott: It’s not an ‘if’ solar is growing. That question is settled by the fact that solar can be the cheapest form of electricity in many regions.  We are helping to accelerate its growth with every module producing more power, expanding the market of solar by pushing the boundaries of what is possible all while  lowering installed costs further. We will help the industry grow faster and reach more people.  

In the not-to-distant future, silicon may be completely displaced by perovskites: as durability and performance improve with scale, then I see Caelux perovskite tandem modules as a real possibility- zero silicon which removes a politically & socially problematic part of the current solar supply chain.  You just need to look at the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) to see how the US is taking the topic of silicon sourcing seriously. 

In the future, I could see Caelux supporting space stations– “Solar array is damaged? Let’s print out some new, flexible panels on with Caelux”.  I would like to see localized  production take hold where rural communities can produce their own cheap, lightweight solar panels for their homes using largely regionally sourced raw materials. We don’t have a detailed roadmap for this future state of things, but I believe this is directionally correct.

What is one piece of advice you would give to companies to help them join the journey to creating a more sustainable planet through their businesses?

Scott: Examine your operations and take environmental considerations into account.  Businesses need to have a longer term, strategic perspective and expedient decisions that cut corners often come back to haunt you.  In short, “do no harm.”

Scott, thanks for joining http://www.Green.org, to share how Caelux is making solar energy more powerful and cost effective.