6 New PV Startups Get DOE Grants

Written by Yoni Levinson

Friday, 03 October 2008

On Monday the Department of Energy announced that they were awarding a total of $17.6 million in grant money to six new second generation photovoltaic startups. The money is expected to be met by roughly another $17 million in cost share from the PV industry itself, totaling a little over $35 million going towards the projects. The idea, obviously, is to foster new technologies that could make PV electricity cost competitive - one giant step towards energy independence.

So let’s meet the companies who found favor in the DOE’s eyes:

1366 Solar of Lexington, MA

Uses muli-crystalline silicon, which is cheaper than single-crystalline silicon (the latter has to be grown slowly and delicately while the latter is simple melted down and cast into a mold)
Cell material is designed with a special grooved texture which traps light into the cell and boosts efficiency to 19%.

Innovalight of Sunnyvale, CA

Uses “silicon ink” to print solar cells and modules onto thin silicon substrates, a technology which makes manufacturing simpler and cheaper

Skyline Solar of Mountain View, CA

Concentrated solar technology mounted on a system that tracks and follows the sun
Technology is compatible with the existing silicon PV industry, but uses less silicon
15% efficiency (when considering the active cell area)

Solasta of Newton, MA

Cells made with amporphous “nanocoax” material, which shortens the distance that electrons have to travel between the PV materials and the conducting wires, thereby improving efficiency

Solexel of Milpitas, CA

Single-crystalline cells that will be cheap to produce, will use minimal amounts of material and will offer up to 19% efficiency

Spire Semiconductor of Hudson, NH

Cells are three-junction tandem, which means that there are three layers, each of which absorbs light of different wavelengths.
Instead of stacking the layers on top of one another, Spire is developing a new, more efficient structure
Target efficiency of over 42%

Via the DOE

Comments (3)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Bryan , October 03, 2008

Honestly, $17 million is a joke that will not accomplish anything but give these companies more time to do nothing. $700 billion will get things rolling nicely. Ecogeek, thanks for the info, but I am saddend by this farce.

PV's and Energy Independence
written by Uncle B , October 04, 2008

Proper use of PV energy once it is collected will determine its adaptation. we cannot waste it! We must microwave food, use LED lights running from PV filled batteries, adapt to and use truly workable solar fridges see: http://www.geekologie.com/2008...e_sola.php Truly low power consumption computers ar rapidly being developed by lap-top manufacturers, and are potentially fitting for solar power, Cell phones work on solar-rechargeable batteries, so get rid of land lines and rejoice! We are almost at the technological point of building a zero running cost, zero maintenance home for ourselves instead of foolish Mc Mansions! PV power will combine with lifestyle changes and solar, geothermal and wind energy sources to provide sustainable realistic warm comfortable and less dependent housing in the very near future!We are on the threshold of a new way of life, and will graciously adopt it as the oncoming depression takes our elaborate toys away from us and requires us to re-invent survival in the U.S.A.

...
written by P Duncan , October 05, 2008

Bryan,

Is there some particular expertise or experience in R&D that you have that has informed your judgment?

While not personally being able to assess whether this amount is appropriate for the desired tasks, since I'm unaware of the equipment and personnel involved, $17 million certainly seems far more reasonable for R&D than hundreds of billions.

While tax incentives on a much larger scale are needed to drive commercialization, we should be supportive of productive R&D rather than only focusing on shortcomings in other areas.

Write comment

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Are You an EcoGeek?

Science, technology gadgets and...baby seals. We're in a bit of an eco-mess, but we've got the brains to lick any problem. And that's why EcoGeek.org publishes up to ten stories daily about innovations that are saving the planet.

And if that sounds interesting to you, then congratulations, you're an EcoGeek.