A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

Innovation for Our Energy Future 

Solar America Initiative (SAI) PV 

Technology Incubator Program 

Preprint 

B. Keyes, M. Symko-Davies, R. Mitchell, H. Ullal, 

B. von Roedern, and L. Greene 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

S. Stephens 

U.S. Department of Energy

Presented at the 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference 

San Diego, California 

May 11–16, 2008 

Conference Paper 

NREL/CP-520-42540 

May 2008 

NREL is operated by Midwest Research Institute ● Battelle Contract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337 
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THE SOLAR AMERICA INITIATIVE (SAI) PV TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR PROGRAM 

Brian Keyes, Martha Symko-Davies, Rick Mitchell, Harin Ullal, Bolko von Roedern, Lori Greene and Scott Stephens1

 

National Renewable Energy Lab 

1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401 1

 U.S Department of Energy 

INTRODUCTION 

The Solar America Initiative (SAI) PV Technology 

Incubator Program, funded by the Department of Energy 

(DOE), through the National Renewable Energy 

Laboratory (NREL), has the objective of shortening the 

timeline for companies to transition prototype and precommercial PV modules into pilot and full-scale 

manufacture. Entrance opportunities for the Incubator 

project are anticipated every 9 – 12 months as funding 

become available. This program targets US small 

businesses with a minimum entrance criterion of a 

demonstrated PV cell process, lab device or module. 

The successful exit criterion is anticipated to be 

prototype modules and pilot production demonstration of 

approximately 3MW/year. 

Ten U.S. Small Businesses received subcontracts from 

NREL in the fall of the calendar year 2007, averaging 

approximately $3.0 million each of NREL/DOE funding 

over an 18-month period. The subcontracts were 

awarded in two 9-month phases with the second phase 

of funding contingent upon successful completion of the 

first phase deliverables and a Stage-Gate review. The 

award winners represent a diverse range of 

technologies including: polycrystalline thin-films; thinand wafer-silicon devices; high-efficiency III-V devices; 

thin-film organics; and concentrating systems. 

SAI PV INCUBATOR OVERVIEW 

The SAI is an integral part of the President’s Advanced 

Energy Initiative (AEI). The AEI is designed to reduce 

the nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy 

by promoting broader research and development (R&D) 

to achieve substantive breakthroughs in a variety of 

energy resources, including solar photovoltaic systems. 

The SAI, authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 

2005, represents a significant enhancement of DOE’s 

business strategy of partnering with U.S. industry to 

accelerate commercialization of photovoltaic (PV) 

system R&D to meet cost and installed capacity goals. 

These SAI goals are to 1) substantively accelerate 

development of U.S.-produced PV systems so that PVproduced electricity reaches parity with the cost of 

electricity in select grid-tied target markets across the 

nation and 2) expand the U.S.-installed domestic 

capacity of PV systems to 5-10 gigawatts (GW). The 

Solar Energy Technology Program’s (SETP) Posture 

Plan, http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america/ 

about.html, illustrates how the SETP aligns with the SAI 

mission and the President’s Advanced Energy Initiative. 

In order to accomplish the goals of the SAI, a multitiered, multi-phased program was established that 

addresses the near-, mid-, and long-term technological 

and scientific advances for improved performance, 

lower cost, and improved reliability of PV system 

components and installed systems. 

The SAI PV Technology Incubator Program is designed 

to accelerate technologies/processes that have 

successfully demonstrated a proof-of-concept/process 

in a lab, but are not yet mature enough for large-scale 

commercial production. The emphasis is currently on 

the barriers to enter commercialization by 2010. 

Prototypes of these PV systems and components will be 

produced on a pilot-scale in a relevant operational 

environment with their demonstrated cost, reliability, or 

performance advantages. PV and CPV modules are 

targeted in this phase of the technology development 

pipeline with goals that include the more efficient use of 

materials, better performance, higher reliability and 

improved manufacturing. Details on the current 

solicitation requirements can be found at 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america/pv_inc

ubator.html 

EXISTING SUBCONTRACTS 

Ten U.S. companies were awarded subcontracts 

through a competitive merit-review based process. The 

resulting projects include a diverse set of technological 

approaches: Inexpensive and Thin Film Si; Low and 

High Concentration; Innovative Thin Film Manufacturing; 

and Low Cost Multi-Junction Cell Production. The $27M 

in DOE funds represents 29% of the $93M worth of 

research and development taking place under the PV 

Incubator Program. The current subcontracted projects 

are listed below: 

AVA Solar 

AVA Solar has demonstrated fully automated, 

continuous in-line fabrication of CdS/CdTe PV. This 

project will enable the demonstration of extremely low 

manufacturing and equipment costs, improved module 

1
efficiencies and the ability for rapid manufacturing 

capacity expansion. 

Blue Square Energy 

Manufacturing of thin crystalline silicon solar cell by 

growing a high purity silicon layer onto a low cost 

metallurgical grade silicon substrate. This approach can 

produce the high performance and reliability of 

traditional solar cells with reduced material utilization 

and manufacturing costs. 

CaliSolar 

Production of cost-effective solar cells from low-cost, 

abundant, but impurity-rich Si feedstock materials. The 

focus will be on a novel and adapted metallization 

method specifically suitable for the use of metallurgical 

Si to manufacture solar cells with over 17% efficiency 

using multicrystalline Si within the next 18 months. 

EnFocus Engineering 

A lightweight, low profile, high concentration PV module 

which is fully encapsulated and protected from wind, 

hail, dust and moisture. This module will utilize high 

efficiency multi-junction cells to generate higher power 

outputs in area-constrained applications such as 

rooftops. 

MicroLink Devices 

MicroLink Devices will develop a low-cost, high 

efficiency dual-junction GaAs-based solar cell for use in 

500x concentrator systems. The developed solar cell 

minimizes GaAs material usage while improving heat 

dissipation with a potential to reduce cost by 50%. 

Plextronics 

Commercialization of Thin-Film Organic Photovoltaic 

(OPV) Technology. Plextronics will develop higher 

efficiency cells while increasing module lifetime design 

to enable this ultra low cost material to compete with 

traditional PV technology. 

PrimeStar Solar 

Develop commercial CdTe module production based on 

the NREL 16.5% world record CdTe laboratory solar cell 

technology. The increased module energy conversion 

efficiency will lower installation costs and open new 

markets for CdTe based thin film modules. 

Solaria 

Solaria1s PV-multiplying process yields two to three 

highly efficient cells from one, via solar cell singulation 

and optical amplification. Solaria’s DOE project aims to 

produce a non-tracking standard module form factor 

with 2-3X concentration manufactured in a reliable high 

volume automated process. 

SolFocus 

500x concentrating PV module emphasizing high 

reliability and high efficiency to enable large-scale 

commercial and utility market penetration. A folded 

reflective design allows for a high optical efficiency and 

acceptance angle in a compact frame. 

SoloPower 

Development of an electroplating-based, high-efficiency, 

low-cost CIGS cell and module manufacturing 

technology. Advantages of this deposition technique 

include lower equipment costs, reduced processing 

times and increased material utilization. 

Detailed results from the funded activities will be made 

available in the publicly released Final Technical 

Reports. 

CURRENT AND FUTURE SOLICITATIONS 

The current PV Incubator subcontracts will undergo a 

Stage-Gate review during the summer of 2008. At this 

time an evaluation of progress will occur and a 

determination to continue with the second 9 month 

phase of the subcontract will be made. 

A second PV Incubator Solicitation occurred in early 

2008 and those responses are currently being reviewed. 

It is anticipated that the new round of subcontracts will 

be finalized in late summer of 2008. 

Finally, as mentioned above, future entrance 

opportunities for the Incubator project are anticipated 

every 9 – 12 months as funding opportunities become 

available. This would put the next solicitation in early 

2009. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of 

Energy under Contract No. DE-AC36-99GO10337 with 

the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

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Solar America Initiative (SAI) PV Technology Incubator Program: 

Preprint 

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B. Keyes, M. Symko-Davies, R. Mitchell, H. Ullal, B. von Roedern, 

L. Greene, and S. Stephens 

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14. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 Words)

The Solar America Initiative (SAI) PV Technology Incubator Program, funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), 

through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has the objective of shortening the timeline for 

companies to transition prototype and pre-commercial PV modules into pilot and full-scale manufacture. Entrance 

opportunities for the Incubator project are anticipated every 9 – 12 months as funding become available. This 

program targets US small businesses with a minimum entrance criterion of a demonstrated PV cell process, lab 

device or module. The successful exit criterion is anticipated to be prototype modules and pilot production 

demonstration of approximately 3MW/year. 

15. SUBJECT TERMS

PV; Solar America Initiative; module; manufacturer; incubator program; 

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