Solar power start-ups taking more cash, time
Updated
Konarka, of Lowell, Mass. which is one of a number of start-ups racing to develop a way to use plastics for generating solar power, instead of using silicon, has raised another a $20M in venture backing.
This time it comes from 3i Group, and existing investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson, New Enterprise Associates, Good Energies, Vanguard Ventures, Partech International and Chevron Technology Ventures all participated.
Some of these solar companies said their products would be ready this year. Miasole, a local company, said their product would be out last year, but we still haven't seen it.
Update: More on this in comments below.
http://www.siliconbeat.com/cgi-bin/mt331/mt-tb.cgi/1133
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Catching up Friday, before long weekend...
Excerpt: Lot's going on, so here's a smattering. Email us your tips on other interesting stuff going on in the valley, and we'll try to include them next week. Techcrunch Party tonight -- We're going to try to meet as many people as possible tonight at Michael ...
Tracked: February 17, 2006 2:26 PM
How can it be that Miasole still does not have any product almost a full year after their CEO said that product is imminent "in one month"?
Tom Bowden on February 15, 2006 8:09 AMComment link
I hear they have the same issues as many before them -- very complex vacuum equipment and very hard to get to any decent yield with this process and equipment. But of course this does not explain Pearce's confidence a year ago...
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see my blog. I describe some likely technical challenges Miasole is meeting with the Stainless web substrates.
Mark Wendman on February 16, 2006 4:48 PMComment link
Jeff, notably with Miasole - they chose to design their own vacuum equipment or custom contract for it, at least in the sputter cathode - probably designed internally. Vacuum equipment while seemingly complex, need not be. WHat happens is if you choose to have designed a 1 off, custom manufacturing machine, basically the design is mostly unproven. All chips are made with many vauum process steps and the machines are very reliable. Do your own design, even with lots of inducstry experience, and the interplay between the new tool and the process is unproven until verified. Now if for example you go to either CHA ( fremont ) or Intevac ( Santa Clara ) and take an existing machine to build your 1st stage product, you have very few EQUIPMENT worries, and you can benchmark and test key portions BEFORE committing capital. AHH. but if it is your own design, all the details remain your headaches ( until working ) and efforts are scattered from the desired pure process / product focus.And yes this dilutes soem of the purported advantages of the optimal inhouse machinery to cost reduction, but it means you have a better chance to cross the chasm 1st.
Mark Wendman on February 17, 2006 9:36 AMComment link
Check out this introduction article on solar power:
http://www.articleworld.org/Solar_power
Contents
1.Methods of harnessing the sun's energy
* 1.1 Direct solar power
* 1.2 Indirect solar power
2.Forms of solar power - either passive or active
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