Positive Trends in Solar Technology

[kristopher]

1366 Technologies Gets $28.4 Million: Three Trends Afoot Here

1366 Technologies, a startup based on research conducted by solar Hall of Famer Ely Sachs, has landed $28.4 million in additional capital from GE Energy Financial Services, VantagePoint Venture Partners, Hanwha Chemical, and others in a deal that underscores three big trends.

Trend one: revolutionizing silicon wafers. Turning pure silicon into wafers can be a time-consuming, wasteful process. In a nutshell, pure silicon is formed into a log, or ingot, and then wafers are sliced off like mortadella. Nearly half of the silicon can end up as dust or waste product and silicon can cost more than $50 a kilogram.

1366 has coined a process it calls Direct Wafer. Molten silicon is directly converted into wafers, which can then be processed into solar cells, CEO Frank van Mierlo told us last week. No meat slicer. 1366's process results in little waste product and reduces the time required to produce wafers. Its multicrystalline wafers are also more consistent.

The company's goal is to produce wafers for around 25 cents a watt. Now, wafers cost around 72 cents a watt to make. A 25-cent wafer will lead to solar power -- including installation, electronics, and the module -- for $1 per watt. (The electronics will cost 10 cents, the balance of systems will cost 40 cents and the module will cost 50 cents.) Now, the cost is closer to $3.40, he said.

For the other two solar trends (#2 involves Asia and #3 relates to US jobs) read the rest at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/1366-technologies-gets-28.4-million-three-trends-afoot-here/