AGC Automotive’s solar roof for passenger cars is ready for mass production

The Belgium-based company announced that its panorama-style solar roof for passenger cars is ready for mass production. The glass-glass design features high-efficiency back contact solar cells and a uniform full black appearance.

Belgium-based AGC Automotive Europe, a unit of Japan’s chemicals, glass, and materials company AGG, announced ahead of next month's automotive trade fair IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich that its panorama-style solar roof for passenger cars is ready for mass production.

The vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) solution, which was announced in development last year, features high-efficiency back contact solar cells and a uniform full black appearance.

“In AGC Solar Roofs, decades of glass expertise meet pioneering solar technology,” said Loïc Tous, AGC Automotive project leader, in a statement that specified the company's intention “to redefine vehicle comfort, sustainability and efficiency” by combining low-emissivity coating, ambient lighting and solar roof functionality “without any loss of performance.”

The VIPV unit is a glass-glass module based on back contact solar cells with at least 25% efficiency. They have a uniform black appearance to match premium passenger vehicles with tinted side and rear windows. 

The appearance is supported by the use of back contact solar cells combined with a “dark interlayer between the cells and the inner glass pane,” according to the company.

The back contact cell technology also avoids front side shading losses and an improved temperature coefficient, which the company said contributes to enhanced performance even in hot climates. No further details about the PV cells used or system specifications were provided.

The solar sunroof offers “plug-free support” to extend the driving range of electric vehicles between charges, but it can also power the security and comfort systems, according to the manufacturer. “On top of providing extra range, the generated electricity can be used for various vehicle functions, such as pre-ventilating the interior for improved comfort or powering surveillance cameras and connectivity systems for improved security,” it said.

The addition of an AGC Automotive solar roof does not necessarily reduce headroom as it offers up to 30 mm more room compared to sunroofs that need a roller blind system, and it is lighter in weight. Furthermore, a low-emissivity coating on the inner glass pane of the module optimizes thermal comfort in the vehicle in both summer and winter, reducing the energy and CO2 emissions caused by air conditioning and heating, according to the company.

AGC Automotive Europe is a vertically integrated automotive glass manufacturer, from raw glass to value-added services immediately prior to final assembly at the customer's premises and component supplier.