ACI Materials Will Launch Solar Silver Paste in 2026
The company aims to restore domestic solar material production with modular, high-efficiency manufacturing systems.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Materials Science
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ACI Materials has announced plans to resume domestic silver paste production for the United States solar market, with a launch scheduled for early Q4 2026. This move seeks to address the current lack of local manufacturing capacity for essential photovoltaic components.
Why it matters
Domestic production could allow U.S. solar manufacturers to bypass import tariffs and trade restrictions that currently characterize the global supply chain. By localizing the supply of silver paste, companies aim to secure more reliable access to materials vital for solar cell assembly.
The company produces silver material using proprietary machines the size of a desk, each capable of outputting 10 metric tonnes annually. ACI Materials claims this process achieves a 30% reduction in paste usage compared to currently available industry alternatives.
The players
ACI Materials
A manufacturer specializing in silver paste for the solar industry that utilizes modular, desk-sized production equipment.
Capital K
The investment firm that provided funding to support ACI Materials in scaling its production capacity.
Dana Hankey
A representative set to discuss industry developments at the upcoming PV CellTech USA conference.
The details
The production process employs cavitation, a method that creates and collapses vacuum bubbles to manipulate materials at a molecular level. By using modular equipment, the company can deploy manufacturing sites in close proximity to solar component producers, potentially reducing logistics complexity. The firm holds 31 issued patents across five patent families related to these methods.
Timeline
Early Q4 2026: The planned launch of PERC solar cell silver paste.
October 2026: Dana Hankey is scheduled to speak at the PV CellTech USA conference.
The Tech Race
The company is positioning its modular, localized manufacturing model against the current global dominance of Chinese solar material suppliers. This initiative seeks to provide a viable path for U.S.-based PERC, TOPCon, and perovskite tandem cell production.
This development primarily affects solar cell manufacturers who will gain access to domestic silver paste supplies, potentially shortening lead times and reducing exposure to international trade policy fluctuations. The technology is scheduled to begin impacting the industrial supply chain in late 2026.
The takeaway
The move underscores a growing trend toward decoupling critical solar manufacturing from centralized overseas supply chains. Stakeholders should monitor the Q4 2026 product launch to see if the company achieves its claimed 30% reduction in paste usage at scale.
What happens next
Watch for the scheduled launch of PERC solar cell silver paste in early Q4 2026 and Dana Hankey's presentation at the PV CellTech USA conference in October 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Materials Science to understand how these production shifts impact the broader solar industry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PV Tech.
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