Next-Gen Solar Tech Could Cut 8 Billion Tons of Emissions

Study finds manufacturing new solar panels could dramatically reduce carbon footprint of global solar deployment.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A new international study by researchers from the University of Warwick, Northumbria, Birmingham, and Oxford Universities has found that manufacturing next-generation solar panels, known as tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) photovoltaics, could cut global carbon emissions by up to 8.2 billion tonnes by 2035. The study compared the environmental impact of TOPCon panels to the current industry-standard passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) technology, finding TOPCon has lower impacts in 15 out of 16 categories, including a 6.5% reduction in climate-changing emissions per unit of electricity capacity.

Why it matters

As countries race to deploy solar power at a massive scale to meet decarbonization goals, the carbon footprint of manufacturing these devices has come under increasing scrutiny. This study shows that by transitioning to the newer and more efficient TOPCon solar technology, and by strategically locating manufacturing in regions with low-carbon electricity grids, the solar industry can dramatically reduce its environmental impact and support rapid global deployment of this critical clean energy technology.

The details

The researchers used life-cycle assessment modeling to compare the manufacturing impacts of TOPCon and PERC solar panels. They found that TOPCon panels have lower environmental impacts in 15 out of 16 categories, including a 6.5% reduction in climate-changing emissions per unit of electricity capacity. The only downside was increased silver consumption, which depletes critical minerals. The study also highlighted the importance of manufacturing location, finding that producing photovoltaics using low-carbon electricity, such as in Europe, significantly reduces emissions compared to fossil-fuel-dependent grids.

  • The study was published in Nature Communications in February 2026.

The players

Dr. Nicholas Grant

Associate Professor at the University of Warwick and co-author of the study.

Professor Neil Beattie

Senior author of the study and professor at Northumbria University.

University of Warwick

One of the institutions that participated in the international research study.

Northumbria University

One of the institutions that participated in the international research study.

University of Birmingham

One of the institutions that participated in the international research study.

University of Oxford

One of the institutions that participated in the international research study.

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What they’re saying

“Multi terawatt scale photovoltaic manufacturing demands a sharper focus on its full environmental footprint. Our paper shows how targeted improvements across the supply chain can deliver sustainable manufacturing at the terawatt-scale, avoiding twenty-five gigatonnes of manufacturing related CO₂ emissions if installed by 2035, while supporting rapid global deployment.”

— Dr. Nicholas Grant, Associate Professor, University of Warwick (Mirage News)

“Solar photovoltaics is a critical technology that can be used globally now to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create energy security. This is especially important as our demand for electricity soars over the next decade driven by applications in transport, heating, and digital infrastructure for AI.”

— Professor Neil Beattie, Northumbria University (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue studying ways to further improve the environmental impact of solar panel manufacturing as the industry scales up to meet global decarbonization goals.

The takeaway

This study demonstrates that by transitioning to newer, more efficient solar panel technologies like TOPCon and strategically locating manufacturing in regions with low-carbon electricity, the solar industry can dramatically reduce its carbon footprint and support the rapid global deployment of this critical clean energy solution.