Chinese solar manufacturer Huasun has partnered with Italian building-energy specialist New Time to establish a 1 GW production line for heterojunction–perovskite tandem panels in Emilia-Romagna. The line is scheduled to start production in the third quarter of 2026 and will serve New Time’s expanding portfolio of BIPV.
The May 2025 agreement includes technology transfer and training, with Italian engineers set to work at Huasun before returning to scale production in Italy. The project aims to introduce next-generation solar manufacturing and reduce reliance on non-EU solar-grade silicon.
New Time integrates solar power into buildings, offering panoramic PV windows, pergola structures and custom installations. Founder Paolo Cimatti said initial batches of PV flooring have been sold, with installations starting in September. Roof tiles are undergoing certification, and talks are underway for the first overseas project using transparent PV glass.
The company is negotiating two plant acquisitions in Emilia-Romagna, with production expected in the third quarter of 2026. Regional authorities have approved a €25.5 million ($29.8 million) investment plan submitted via Italy’s national development agency, including €6.4 million of public funding. Of the plan, €8.3 million will finance glass processing in Budrio, €15.7 million will support assembly of new products and an R&D center in San Lazzaro di Savena, and €1 million is allocated to refurbish headquarters in Forlì.
Cimatti said cumulative investment will reach about €50 million over 2022-26, combining the initial €18.5 million in Budrio, the Invitalia-backed program and capital expenditure for the tandem line. New Time’s 2024 revenue exceeded €110 million, with 250 employees and about 600 collaborators. The Budrio and San Lazzaro sites are expected to reach 300 staff by 2026, while the tandem production center is set to create a further 70–100 jobs.
If completed on schedule, the project would rank among Italy’s largest BIPV-focused solar manufacturing bases, combining advanced cell technology with architectural applications.
Huasun continues to advance its own R&D in heterojunction and tandem technologies. At an industry conference in April 2025, the company reported achieving 29% efficiency on a 210mm HJT–perovskite tandem cell. A pilot line is expected to deliver demonstration modules to Chinese customers later this year. The company has also introduced a new encapsulation design combining optical conversion film with butyl rubber, aimed at cutting annual power degradation of its tandem modules below 0.3%.
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