Companies awarded funding under DOE's Photovoltaic Incubator Program will work with NREL to transition prototype and pre-commercial PV technologies into pilot and full-scale manufacturing. The anticipated subcontracts, worth up to $3 million each, will be awarded as 18-month phased subcontracts with payment made upon completion of project milestones.

Alta Devices Inc., based in Santa Clara, Calif., will focus efforts on developing an innovative, high-efficiency (>20%), low-cost compound-semiconductor photovoltaic module, with market entry expected in 2011.

Solar Junction Corp., based in San Jose, Calif., will develop a manufacturing process to produce a very-high-efficiency multi-junction cell. These cells will be utilized by concentrating PV (CPV) manufacturers to produce lower-cost CPV systems.

Tetra Sun, based in Saratoga, Calif., will focus its efforts on a back-surface passivation for high-efficiency crystalline silicon (c-si) solar cells. This effort will result in a high-efficiency, low-cost c-Si solar cell.

Semprius Inc., based in Durham, N.C., will focus its efforts on developing a massively parallel, microcell-based CPV receiver. This approach combines the benefits of unique-to-solar manufacturing techniques with the performance and operational benefits of microcell concentrating photovoltaics.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy

The DOE's report highlights the benefits of ARRA to small businesses throughout the renewable energy industry and environmental management sector. The report highlights 26 small businesses covering a range of clean energy technologies, such as solar, wind and biofuels, along with critical new infrastructure, such as smart grid, advanced batteries, energy storage and energy efficiency tools.

"Small business are the backbone of job creation in this country and have been a springboard for innovation in the clean energy sector," says Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "The work these companies do and the innovation they produce will go a long way in helping our economy grow and our nation succeed."

Among the solar success stories highlighted in the report, the DOE awarded XeroCoat Inc. a $1.36 million grant under the Solar Energy Technologies Program to develop a method for applying its patented anti-reflective coating technology directly onto assembled solar panels. According to the DOE, this research project may not have been possible without the grant. The project has also created about five positions at XeroCoat and provided work for several manufacturers.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), based in San Jose, Calif., has released its 2010 Solar Company Scorecard, which ranks manufacturers of solar photovoltaic modules according to a range of factors, including environmental health and safety, sustainability, workers' rights and social justice.

Companies self-reported on these areas. The results serve as a resource for institutional purchasers, investors and consumers to help promote best practices in the industry, SVTC says.

The 14 responding companies represented 24% of the 2008 module market share and 31% of the cumulative market share. The top three scores were earned by German manufacturers Calyxo, SolarWorld and Sovello, scoring 90, 88 and 73 respectively. The two U.S.-based respondents scored in the mid-range: First Solar received a score of 67, and Abound Solar received a 63.
The report also found that 57% of respondents would support mandatory takeback and recycling programs in the markets where they sell solar panels. In addition, 42.8% of companies are setting aside money to finance the collection and disposal of end-of-life panels. Half of the manufacturers said that they provide recycling services free of charge.

Furthermore, 50% of manufacturers have undertaken analysis of their supply chain to document the social and environmental impacts associated with different production phases. SVTC found that 36% of companies said that they conduct life-cycle analyses or risk assessments on new chemicals, including nanomaterials.

SVTC is calling for mandatory takeback and responsible recycling by solar companies. It is in the industry's best interest to ensure that pollutants from the panels do not enter the environment, the organization says, and only solar producers can ensure that this will happen by eliminating toxic chemicals from their products and by taking responsibility for their environmental and health impacts throughout the entire life cycle.

The complete scorecard is available at www.solarscorecard.com.

SOURCE: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition