Solar electronics startup Taylor raises €8M

Pension fund ABP has agreed to invest 8 million euros in Taylor, an Eindhoven-based startup specializing in electronics to optimize the yield of solar panels. The company’s electronics minimize the loss of power output from age-related ‘weak spots’ or when a solar panel is partially shaded.

Because of the way cells are organized in a panel – in so-called strings – a single malfunctioning cell negatively affects the performance of all cells it’s connected to. Taylor’s technology, originally developed at Eindhoven University of Technology, addresses this issue, raising overall energy output by up to 20 percent. The so-called cell string optimizers are fully integrated into the panels, unlike existing solutions, which are usually fitted during roof-top installation.