Panasonic Holdings is accelerating its plan to scale solar cells built directly into glass. The company now pegs April 2029 for mass production, a one-year pull-forward, with the line set to run in Nagahama, Shiga prefecture. In September, it started selling units assembled at its development site in Osaka.
Japan is leaning on thin, lightweight perovskite cells that can go where rigid panels cannot, a practical fit for a mountainous, densely packed country. Panasonic's pitch is "power-generating glass" for windows and building exteriors that can be tailored for size, transparency, and design. "Particularly in urban areas, many buildings have limited roof space available for solar panel installation, leading to increased expectations for building-integrated photovoltaics," Panasonic said. The company did not disclose how many units it plans to make at the new plant.
Tokyo wants a meaningful role in this emerging market, even as it faces off with China, which dominates global solar manufacturing and is also developing perovskite technology. One catch remains: these cells currently cost more than conventional panels, a key obstacle to broad rollout.
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The company highlights growing interest in building-integrated photovoltaics due to limited roof space in urban areas, while noting that higher costs versus conventional panels remain a barrier to wider deployment.
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