photo: PowerLight
What do solar panel maker BP Solar (BP), Silicon Valley renewable energy software startup Fat Spaniel, Canadian power inverter maker Xantrex, the Palo Alto Research Center, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the Georgia Institute of Technology have in common? They’re members of one of 13 solar energy "teams" that have come together to secure funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance solar technology innovation. The BP Solar-led team, for instance, qualified for up to $19.1 million in government grants over three years – provided Congress approves the Bush administration $168 million budget request for the program – to increase the efficiency and cut the price of solar panels to make photovoltaic power competitive with fossil fuel-fired electricity. While such corporate-government-academic collaborations are not uncommon in Europe, Asia and Australia, it’s a bit of a departure in the epicenter of dog-eat-dog capitalism – particularly in a highly competitive market like renewable energy chock full of startups all hoping to be the Google of green tech.
Among the teams selected by the feds for funding: Boeing (BA), whose Spectrolab subsidiary has developed the world’s most efficient solar module, is leading a research effort to make high-efficiency concentrating PV systems. The team, which could get up to $13 million, includes utility Southern California Edison (EIX), PV Powered and the California Institute of Technology. PowerLight, the Berkeley-based PV system installer now owned by SunPower (SPWR), will use its $6 million in government cash to research ways to make improve manufacturing of non-solar cell components with the help of partners like design software company Autodesk (ADSK). SunPower itself will lead a team, which scored nearly $18 million, that includes MIT to find ways to produce cheaper PV cells and systems.
Silicon Valley thin-film solar startups Miasole and Nanosolar each are heading teams to develop high-volume manufacturing of flexible solar cells and to research technologies to incorporate them into commercial buildings, respectively. Each team qualifies for up to $20 million. Meanwhile, multinational conglomerate General Electric’s (GE) team will use its $18.6 million to work on ways to speed up the adoption of solar systems through a new type of silicon cell.
Green Wombat 
We need affordable housing in America!
We don’t need fields of solar panels, wind mills, and activist environmentalists stealing the land needed for more affordable housing.
Save energy and personal dollars the most effective way–get rid of some of your cars!
Here’s how: “HOW TO LIVE WELL WITHOUT OWNING A CAR” by Chris Balish.
Solar Companies Team Up to Win $168 Million in US Funding
yes, invest the money from a car into solar energy. You will save the money you pay for electricity.
It’s absolutely the case that environmentalists are stealing land for all kinds of reasons. 350 square miles around the silicon valley and northward have been hijacked from property owners to prevent anyone from building. As such, most of us who work there are unable to LIVE there. We must drive into the valley from locations north and south of the valley, where there is and can never be mass transit. That is beyond environmental nuttiness. It is as the crazy libs would say… environmentally unsustainable.
Let us have homes. Please.
If you have space you can use solar. Be my guest. But don’t burden me with further potential costs for a house.
Or if you really want us to install solar, exempt property taxes for five years for people who do so. Then I guarantee you’ll have more solar homes than you can shake a stick at.
Iam Indian and works an Indian company i.e Central Electtonics Limited, we make here solar cell I haven 22 years experience in this line Presently I am working as a Technical Manager and looking whole the production of solar cell area. If u haven any related job for me solar cell manufacturing company then give me chance. with thanks I am sending u my biodata.
Respected Sir
Sir,
I am enclosing my Bio-Data for your consideration. If
you find it suitable, please send me reply for the same.
Thanking you
Your’s faithfully
(RAJ KUMAR ARORA)
11/123 Geeta Colony
Delhi-110031
PTO
Bio-Data
Name : RAJ KUMAR ARORA
Father’s Name : Late Sh. RAM DAYAL
Residential Address : 11/123 Geeta Colony, Delhi-110031
E-Mail Address : Ronki 123 @ yahoo.com
Contact no’s : 65730714, (M) 9891156489
Date of birth : 20th October 1956
Marital status : Married
Nationality : Indian
Religion : Hinduism
Last Qualification : B.Sc (science) with Physics, Chemistry,
Mathematics from Jamia Millia Islamia
University in 1977 with Second Division
Professional
Experience : (1) Name of Organization-
Central Electronics Limited
(2) Date of Joining- 27th June 1978
(3) Position-Presently I am working as a Tech. Manager. Last Year’s position was as given in the next page.
PTO
EXPERIENCE
(1) 1978 to 1983
I joined Central Electronics Limited in 1978. I worked in DISPLAY PRODUCT DIVISION as a Lab Asstt (B). I was looking production as well as Quality Control.
(2) Since 1984
I am working in Solar cells production Area as a Shift Incharge and looking the different stages of production i.e. Polishing, Texturization, Diffusion, Edge Etching ,passivation, Front Printing, Back Printing, Aluminium Printing and Testing of Solar Cells.
POCL3 (Phosphorous oxy chloride) Diffusion was our standard production. I have worked in this area from 1984 to 1998.
(3) Since 1999
IMEC Technology for high efficiency Solar Cells has been implemented in the production. In which I was also actively involved in the implementation of the project. Now we are making 14 % efficiency Solar Cells with this technology.
Solar Cells capacity has been up-graded from 4.0 inch round wafers to 5.0 inch Psudo Square wafers. I was also involved in this modification as well as implementation of the project in production.
(4) In Solar Cell production, I have twenty two year experience. Now presently I am working as a Technical Manager and looking production in Cell Process area as Process Incharge
(5) Two times Dr saul Winderbaum ( shamash australia) has been visited in our organization. I have also worked with him. He having a specialities to set parameter in the machines accordingly to get high efficiency of solar cells.
PTO
Additional Information
(a)
I was deputed in Rajasthan for DRD pumping set survey in 1990 to see the feasibility of the project for installation of rural people.
(b)
After that, I also demonstrated of Lantern Module and Lantern system on behalf of Central Electronics Limited for the earth quake victims.
(c)
We were facing the problem of more breakage in manufacturing of Solar Cell it was around 5% to 6%,this job was given to me in the month of Aug. 2006 to control the breakage I done successfully the same with my team and now the breakage has been reduced now, it is between 1.5% to 2.5%.
(c) January 2007
Our Organization officially deputed me to visit USA to inspect and get training on Conveyor Belt Diffusion furnace from M/S BTU International. I have done successfully
Your’s faithfully
(RAJ KUMAR ARORA)
11/123 GEETA COLONY
DELHI-110031.
(M) 9891156489
Office address-
Raj Kumar Arora (Tech. Manager)
Solar Photovoltaic Division
Central Electronics Limited
4, Industrial Area,
Sahibabad-201010 (UP)