SYLMAR FIRM'S SOLAR CELL GETS BOOST $13 MILLION PACT FROM FEDS AIMS AT SALEABLE PRODUCT.Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer SYLMAR -- Boeing subsidiary Spectrolab Inc., maker of solar cells solar cell, semiconductor devised to convert light to electric current. It is a specially constructed diode, usually made of silicon crystal. When light strikes the exposed active surface, it knocks electrons loose from their sites in the crystal. that power Mars rovers, won a $13.3 million contract to develop its super-efficient solar cell into a marketable product, officials announced Friday at the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. lab. U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary Raymond Orbach highlighted that award and six others, totalling $96 million, to be given to California companies over three years. They are part of President George W. Bush's Solar America Initiative, which aims to make the price of solar energy solar energy, any form of energy radiated by the sun, including light, radio waves, and X rays, although the term usually refers to the visible light of the sun. competitive with natural gas, coal, and other energy sources. "Solar energy must be a significant component of our nation's energy supply" to reduce reliance on foreign energy sources and fight climate change, Orbach said. Energy officials announced an additional $72 million for six out-of-state projects Thursday. California gets less than 1 percent of its energy from solar sources. That's partly because solar energy costs 18 to 23 cents per kilowatt hour Kil´o`watt` hour 1. (Elec.) A unit of work or energy equal to that done by one kilowatt acting for one hour; - approximately equal to 1.34 horse-power hour. Noun 1. to produce. Natural gas, the state's largest source of energy, seems like a relative steal at 5 cents per kilowatt hour, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the California Energy Commission The California Energy Commission is California’s primary energy policy and planning agency. Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission has responsibility for activities that include forecasting future energy needs, promoting energy efficiency through . But if the Energy Department program reaches its goal of producing solar energy at 5 to 10 cents per kilowatt kilowatt: see watt. , the sun could become a major provider of energy. "We are at the dawn of a new era," said Vahan Garboushian, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Amonix in Torrance. The company is focused on achieving large-scale solar energy at a competitive price. The Energy Department awarded Amonix $14.8 million, which the company is matching. Mass-produced solar energy is a possibility that Spectrolab president David Lillington can imagine. "There is plenty of space in California, Nevada and Arizona" to install large-scale solar energy farms, Lillington said during the news conference. Spectrolab developed the super-efficient solar cell in December. It converts 40.7 percent of the sun's rays into energy, making it the most efficient solar cell ever created, according to the lab. Solar cells available on the mass market typically convert 16 percent of the sun's rays to energy. They are made of silicon, which is less powerful than gallium-arsenide, the material used in Spectrolab's cells. Spectrolab boosts the cell's conversion rate by having lenses concentrate sunrays before reflecting them onto the cells. The tiny cell, measuring about a square centimeter centimeter (sĕn`tĭmē'tər), abbr. cm, unit of length equal to 0.01 meter, the basic unit of length in the metric system. The centimeter is the unit of length in the cgs system. It is approximately equal to 0. , will not be ready for market for 18 months. The Energy Department award, along with $16.5 million that Boeing is kicking in, will be spent to test the cell, reduce its cost, and improve its performance. Spectrolab's solar cell is designed to suit the rugged conditions of space, but its development will impact the residential and commercial market for rooftop solar panels, according to Claudia Chandler, a spokeswoman for the California Energy Commission. "It pulls the market," Chandler said. "If these folks are coming out with 40 percent efficiency, they are going to set the high mark for other manufacturers to reach." Spectrolab is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Boeing. It was founded in 1956 by Alfred Mann, a scientist from Portland, Ore. The company's solar panels powered the satellite that took the first pictures of Earth from space and were used on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, when astronaut astronaut, crew member on a U.S. manned spaceflight mission; the Soviet term is cosmonaut. Candidates for manned spaceflight are carefully screened to meet the highest physical and mental standards, and they undergo rigorous training. Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Today, the company's solar panels power two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. julia.scott(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3735 SoCal solar awards (in millions) Spectrolab, Sylmar: $13.3 Amonix, Torrance: $14.8 Practical Instruments, Pasadena: $4 CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: (color) This wafer is used to test solar cells. Spectrolab of Sylmar has won a federal contract to develop its super-efficient solar cell. John McCoy/Staff Photographer Box: (1) California's Energy Sources SOURCE: California Energy Commission (2) SoCal solar awards (see text) |
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