PV Updates at MIT

Plenty happening at MIT in the world of PV. Several exciting developments are still under wraps, but a few recently hit the press. Stay tuned for further announcements...


1) 1366 Tech, the new venture of MIT Prof. Ely Sachs (inventor of the Evergreen String Ribbon growth process, the Evergreen Quad furnace, and 3D printing technology) and Frank von Mierlo (formerly of MIT spin-off Bluefin), has announced $12.4M funding. Here is a snipped from the NCPV hotline:

MIT Start-up Financing
1366 Technologies, a new MIT start-up aiming to make silicon solar cells competitive with coal, has secured $12.4 million in a first round of financing co-led by North Bridge Venture Partners and Polaris Venture Partners. MIT professor, 1366 founder and CTO, Ely Sachs, noted the 1366 Technologies will be combining innovations in silicon cell architecture with manufacturing process improvements to bring multi-crystalline silicon solar cells to cost parity with coal-based electricity. More on the company and plans at Solarbuzz: http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNACO728.htm and
CNet News: http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9903728-54.html
MIT Technology Review: http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20476/
1366 Technologies: http://www.1366tech.com/
North Bridge Venture Partners: http://www.northbridge.com/
Polaris Venture Partners: http://www.polarisventures.com/


2) The PV Research Lab at MIT received a DOE research grant to employ novel "defect engineering" methods to improve the efficiencies of commercial solar cells: http://www.doe.gov/news/6071.htm


3) The MIT Energy Initiative and Eni S.p.A. announced a research partnership in "next gen" solar technologies.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/mitei-eni-0115.html