ISC Konstanz announce collaboration with Munich Re Specialty for mandatory audits on solar cell facilities
During the meeting and site visit, ISC Konstanz and Munich Re Specialty aligned on the understanding and mitigation of degradation mechanisms that can affect solar cell performance and lifetime.
As the photovoltaic industry continues its rapid global expansion, new manufacturing capacities are being established around the world. India alone has more than 270 GW of announced and under-development solar cell manufacturing capacity, around 85% of which is expected to use TOPCon technology, according to Mercom India Research1. For new manufacturers entering the market, ensuring consistent manufacturing quality has become a key success factor. Reliable production not only reduces technical risks but also helps to strengthen confidence among investors, project developers and insurers. The collaboration between Munich Re Specialty and ISC Konstanz creates added value by combining ISC Konstanz’s expertise in industrial solar cell manufacturing and technology with Munich Re Specialty’s expertise in market and financial risk assessment and its insights into actual claims and loss experience. Together, this enables an independent assessment of manufacturing quality and associated technical risks.
Against this background, the visit provided an opportunity for both partners to exchange expertise on the scientific and manufacturing aspects that underpin the long-term reliability of modern photovoltaic products.
ISC Konstanz recent findings on UV-induced degradation suggest manufacturing parameters influence degradation behaviour and long-term cell reliability. Its work builds on recent research by ISC scientist David Bäuerle, published in the renowned journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells2, which provides new insights into the influence of manufacturing parameters on the UV stability of modern TOPCon solar cells. These findings contribute to the industry’s understanding of reliability risks and support the development of more robust manufacturing processes.
By Combining Munich Re Specialty’s expertise in technical risk assessment with ISC Konstanz’s experience in photovoltaic manufacturing, both partners aim to evaluate production quality, identify potential reliability risks at an early stage and support manufacturers in continuously improving their processes.
For manufacturers, the audits provide valuable feedback on production quality and opportunities for optimization. For Munich Re Specialty, they form an important technical basis for assessing manufacturing risks in connection with photovoltaic warranty insurance. Ultimately, the collaboration contributes to increasing confidence in new manufacturing capacities.
“The quality of a photovoltaic product is determined long before the module leaves the factory,” said Jan Lossen, project leader at ISC Konstanz. “The recent visit of Munich Re Specialty to our institute and pilot line in Konstanz builds on our existing collaboration. By combining manufacturing expertise with independent technical assessments, ISC Konstanz can identify potential risks early, help manufacturers optimize their processes and ultimately help to increase confidence in new solar technologies.”
Looking ahead, the partners expect increasing attention to new solar cell production capacities currently being established outside China, particularly in India and the United States. This trend is already visible: India’s solar cell manufacturing capacity reached approximately 42 GW by mid-2026, while the United States has already built more than 66 GW of module manufacturing capacity and around 11 GW of domestic cell capacity, illustrating the ongoing build-up of PV manufacturing supply chains in both markets3. Through their collaboration, Munich Re Specialty and ISC Konstanz aim to support the successful ramp-up of these new production facilities, reduce technology-related risks and contribute to higher quality and reliability throughout the global photovoltaic industry.