The Green Room - "Thomas Bywater on High-Efficiency Panels, Back Contact Tech & Solar 3.0" Ep 12.

Green Room. Episode 12.

Welcome to the world of advanced solar technology with Thomas Bywater, a multilingual solar and electrical engineer whose career spans cutting-edge cell manufacturing, large-scale renewable projects, and industry-shaping innovation.

From mastering Mandarin in high school to working alongside pioneers at the University of New South Wales, Thomas has been at the forefront of solar’s evolution — from PERC to TopCon to Back Contact technology.

In this episode, we unpack the science behind high-efficiency solar cells, the engineering trade-offs in module design, the realities of structural and environmental challenges, and the future of Solar 3.0 — integrating storage, architecture, and next-generation materials.

Whether you’re a renewable energy professional or a tech enthusiast, Thomas’s insights will expand your understanding of the physics, engineering, and commercial realities shaping the solar industry today.


Chapters:

0:00 - background, upbringing in Brisbane, learning Mandarin, early influences in solar
5:00 - Language learning methods, visual memory tricks
10:00 - University of New South Wales engineering studies, early solar inspirations
15:00 - Making solar cells vs. modules, BP Solar factory history
20:00 - Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in Australia & China
25:00 - IECO’s manufacturing history, types of solar cells
30:00 - The shift to making own modules, efficiency goals
35:00 - Solar 3.0 concept — storage integration, solar as a building product
40:00 - Evolution of solar cell tech
45:00 - Bifacial vs. monofacial panels, albedo effects, trackers vs. static arrays
50:00 - Panel efficiency limits, degradation rates, temperature coefficients
55:00 - Lightweight panels (Nebula series), design trade-offs