The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has selected the recipients of $11.3 million in funding to help develop and commercialize 25 innovative renewable energy and energy storage projects.
To finance the projects, NYSERDA will use $4 million of funds from proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas cap-and-trade auctions, and $7 million of Systems Benefit Charge funds. These resources will leverage $11 million of private-sector investment to bring total funding for these projects to $22 million.
The funds will support demonstration projects, new product development and feasibility studies. Funded initiatives include the following solar projects:
- Magnolia Solar is working at the SUNY Albany Nanotech center to develop structured nanoparticle coating for thin-film PV cells that could double their performance and potentially halve their cost.
- Precision Electro Minerals Co. is studying the establishment of a fused silica crucible manufacture for solar-grade silicon, used in making single-crystal PV cells, in New York state.
- University of Rochester is seeking to develop nanotechnology-enabled processing for inexpensive and more efficient thin-film silicon PV cells.
- RNY Solar LLC is performing feasibility studies on novel solar-splitting concentrator modules that could improve solar collection by 100%.
- SUNY Binghamton will work to develop new materials using nanofabrication techniques to create a solar-thermoelectric generator that uses the heat of solar radiation structure to make electricity.
Once contracted, most projects will be reporting on progress during this year and into 2011. All contracts feature milestone payments, and many seek recoupment by NYSERDA if and when products developed with funding are sold on the open market.
SOURCE: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
