Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, to discuss perovskite solar technology. Caelux is developing power-generating glass that adds a perovskite layer to conventional silicon solar modules. The conversation covers solar manufacturing, space power, radiation resistance, and the role of perovskites in the next generation of photovoltaics.
Timestamped Overview
00:00 – Introduction and Caelux overview
01:39 – Solar industry growth and deployment trends
03:42 – Scott Graybeal’s background in nuclear, semiconductors, and solar
06:01 – Perovskites explained for non-specialists
07:21 – Space applications and early commercial adoption10:20 – Efficiency, cost, and tandem solar architectures
12:50 – In-space manufacturing and repairable solar arrays
14:30 – Differences between solar on Earth and in space
17:04 – Flexible panels, roll-to-roll production, and deployable arrays
18:30 – Solar, nuclear, and redundancy for space power systems
19:57 – Solar supply chains, China, and U.S. manufacturing
22:38 – Industrial policy and rebuilding domestic PV capacity
25:32 – U.S. advantages in solar innovation and power electronics
30:24 – New terrestrial applications including balcony solar and building-integrated PV
33:43 – Commercial space markets for perovskite solar
36:09 – Power beaming, directed energy, and high-power space systems
38:56 – Space-based solar power and launch-cost considerations
41:27 – Lunar power, storage, and backup systems
44:08 – Lunar nights, Mars, and in-situ solar production
48:01 – Lunar fuel production, hydrogen storage, and asteroid mining
50:48 – Power, air, food, and water for off-world infrastructure
52:44 – Investor misconceptions about solar and China
55:51 – Solar’s future across terrestrial and space markets
57:44 – Closing remarks
