Companies awarded under DoE’s Photovoltaic Incubator Program will work with NREL to transition prototype and pre-commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies into pilot and full-scale manufacturing.
The anticipated subcontracts, up to US$3m each, will be awarded as 18-month phased subcontracts with payment made upon completion of project milestones.
The early stage solar partnership projects include:
California:
- Alta Devices, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) up to US$3m: Alta Devices will focus efforts on developing a high-efficiency (>20%), low-cost compound-semiconductor solar PV module, with market entry expected in 2011.
- Solar Junction Corp. (San Jose, CA) up to US$3m: Solar Junction will develop a manufacturing process to produce a very high efficiency multi-junction solar PV cell. These high performing cells will be utilised by concentrating PV (CPV) manufacturers to produce lower cost CPV systems.
- Tetra Sun (Saratoga, CA) up to US$3m: Tetra Sun will focus efforts on a back surface passivation for high efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells. This effort will result in a high efficiency low-cost C-Si solar cell.
North Carolina:
- Semprius, Inc. (Durham, NC) up to US$3m: Semprius will focus efforts towards a massively parallel, microcell-based solar CPV receiver. This approach combines the benefits of unique-to-solar manufacturing techniques with the performance and operational benefits of microcell concentrating solar PV.