# 30% More Power, 20% Lower Costs: Scott Graybeal on Solar’s Step-Change Moment

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2026-03-05
- Length: 52m
- Episode: 97
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/68r72zmn-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal

## Summary

Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, explains how the company is commercializing perovskite solar technology by depositing a thin 'active glass' layer onto conventional silicon modules to achieve 30–40% higher power output. He details the tandem cell architecture that splits the light spectrum to improve efficiency, the company's manufacturing roadmap scaling to 100 MW, and the strategic decision to partner with incumbent module manufacturers rather than building a full module factory. Graybeal also discusses the economic impact of lower levelized cost of energy, the shift away from China-centric manufacturing due to lower capital requirements, and the future potential of flexible, printed solar applications.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment#t=0) Introduction and Solar Industry Evolution
- [5:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment#t=315) Caelux's Perovskite Technology and Tandem Architecture
- [14:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment#t=873) Manufacturing Roadmap and Wright's Law
- [18:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment#t=1129) Economics, Use Cases, and Dispatchable Solar
- [29:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment#t=1773) Business Model and Partnership Strategy
- [39:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-03-05-30-more-power-20-lower-costs-scott-graybeal-on-solars-step-change-moment#t=2340) Geopolitics, Supply Chain, and Future Ubiquity

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Caelux (company)
- Flex (company)
- NextTracker (company)
- Caltech (company)
- Topcon (product)
- Caelix Prime (product)
- LFP (material)
- NMC (material)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [An Interview with Sam Stranks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-03-10-an-interview-with-sam-stranks) (The Amp Hour)
- [Scaling America's domestic solar supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-03-19-scaling-americas-domestic-solar-supply-chain) (Catalyst)
- [82. 3D Printing Space Sensors & Solar Cell Windows](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-09-82-3d-printing-space-sensors-solar-cell-windows) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Solar Cells, SparkFun, TSMC - The Detroit Debunking](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-01-05-solar-cells-sparkfun-tsmc-the-detroit-debunking) (The Amp Hour)
- [Powering a Green Future: Insights from Infineon's Peter Wawer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2023-05-16-powering-a-green-future-insights-from-infineons-peter-wawer) (Moore's Lobby)

## Citing this page

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