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Setting the Standard for Affordable Photovoltaic Cells
An article by Popular Science Magazine says the company Nanosolar, Inc. located in Silicon Valley, "produces its PowerSheet solar cells with printing-press-style machines that set down a layer of solar-absorbing nano-ink onto metal sheets as thin as aluminum foil, so the panels can be made for about a tenth of what current panels cost and at a rate of several hundred feet per minute."
With backing from Google's founders and $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Nanosolar's first commercial photovoltaic cells rolled off the presses in December of 2007. This video explains the process:
Nanosolar has received numerous awards for it's breakthrough. The following is a partial list of awards and grants:
• 11/2007: Popular Science Magazine recognizes Nanosolar as the #1 innovation of 2007 out of its 100 Best of What's New award winners. Runner-up awards include the Apple iPhone and the Audi R8. See also press release.
• 9/2007: The U.S. Department of Energy awards the largest contract of Solar America funding ($20 million) to Nanosolar.
• 6/2007: The U.S. Department of Energy awards Nanosolar a $750,000 SBIR grant.
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