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The Future of Photovoltaics Manufacturing in the United States Summary of Two Symposia (2011) / Chapter Skim
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Panel III: Facilitating Solar Innovation: Contributions from Other Federal Agencies
Pages 161-170

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From page 161...
... About 400 NIST staff work with more than 1,000 bodies to help set standards. Among the Institute's ongoing programs are the Technology Innovation Program, the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Program, and the Manufacturing Extension Program.
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From page 162...
... BFRL, he said, is building simulation tools to improve evaluation of energy usage in buildings. Because solar energy is just one aspect of this challenge, the lab has gathered data and modeled buildings in a variety of applications to bring a better understanding of how to perform simulations.
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From page 163...
... Rochford said, NIST planned to leverage some current capabilities into later-generation PV, such as using inhomogeneities or nanostructures to increase efficiency. "But clearly, to make those work," he said, "there will have to be better understanding of some processes." As examples, he mentioned carrier generation, carrier transport, and electron hole band diagrams at the smallest scales.
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From page 164...
... This program supported a project whose goal is to extract energy from ocean waves via linear direct drive generator buoys. This is done in collaboration with a small company in a new program called GOALI, Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry.
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From page 165...
... • Optoelectronic Processes in Materials for Solar Energy Conversion, University of Central Florida; nanosystems of conducting polymers and fullerenebased material; single-particle spectroscopy studies reveal that the states of the aggregates affect material function. • Self-assembled Biomimetic Antireflective Coatings, University of Florida; novel templating nanofabrication platform to mass-fabricate broadband coatings for solar cells.
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From page 166...
... By definition, translational research relies on partnerships and is expected to deliver clear benefit to society. Programs considered to support translational research include the Science and Technology Centers, the Engineering Research Centers, GOALI, MRSEC, the SBIR program, EFRI, and the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC)
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From page 167...
... It is a specific management and structural model with independent evaluation tools." Over the past two decades, the program has supported some 35 to 50 centers each year, with a total of about 100 sites throughout the country. A specific example of I/UCRCs is the Silicon Solar Consortium, or SiSoC.
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From page 168...
... • I/UCRC is an important element of the foundation's growing commitment to translational research. • SiSoC, a multiuniversity, multicompany research program, is an excellent example of NSF's approach to translational research in photovoltaic technologies.
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From page 169...
... Also, we should expand opportunities for research students at our universities to do part or all of their research training at a national lab." One thing a university culture encourages, he said, is information exchange and collaboration with other research institutions -- in part, because a single university rarely has the resources and expertise to fully investigate a complex problem on its own. A collective approach to PV research problems involving universities, national labs, and industry will cross-fertilize and synthesize new ideas that may elude individual investigators.
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From page 170...
... We also tend to invest in industrially driven research. But between them lies a gap: foundational research related to current technologies." He suggested moving effort and money into this gap to advance PV technologies for the 2015 time frame.
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Key Terms

  • translational research
  • foundational research
  • photovoltaics manufacturing
  • photovoltaic technologies
  • solar cells

  • energy research
  • georgia tech
  • fuel cells
  • solar energy
  • solar consortium

  • national labs
  • increasing emphasis
  • smart grid
  • energy programs
  • metrology institutes

  • silicon solar
  • materials research
  • engineering production
  • following projects
  • voltaic technologies

  • structural model
  • measurement science
  • gathered data
  • university culture
  • industrial engineering

  • silicon dioxide
  • increase performance
  • extension program
  • generate hydrocarbon
  • colorado school


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