Concentrating solar photovoltaics use optics to concentrate sunlight onto solar cells to boost energy production. While the tech is still in an early stage, some startups are looking to ramp up, like Fremont, Calif.-based Solaria, which has raised another $30 million. Read More »
Cleantech
Once upon a time, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology received ridicule for its design and promise to deliver cheaper electricity. But CPV is now attracting new entrants such as SunPower, the long-time maker of traditional solar panels that on Tuesday launched a CPV system. Read More »
Here’s good news for proponents of a solar tech that some thought would never be widely used: The U.S. Department of Energy said Tuesday it’s offering a conditional commitment for a $90.6 million loan guarantee to build a concentrating photovoltaic solar power plant. Read More »
A rooftop at Santa Clara University is now home to a next-generation solar technology. Specifically the university has commissioned a solar concentrating photovoltaic project — which uses both mirrors to concentrate sunlight and also solar cells — from startup Chromasun. Read More »
Can solar concentrating photovoltaic technology ever become mainstream? There’s a new project that shows it can: Tenaska Solar Ventures will build a 150 MW of CPV systems that will produce electricity for San Diego Gas & Electric. The largest CPV installation to date is 1 MW. Read More »
Morgan Solar, a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) startup, is raising a B round of $20-25 million and hopes to complete the fundraising by as early as April, Nicolas Morgan, vice president of business development at the company, told us. Read More »
Morgan Solar has settled on a production plan and is ready to offer its first system that use concentrated sunlight and solar cells to produce electricity in 2011. Now Morgan Solar is counting on its new CEO to deliver a new round of funding. Read More »
Solaria, whose technology uses lenses to concentrate sunlight onto solar cells in order to boost electricity generation, said Wednesday it has raised an additional $20 million for its previously announced Series D round of financing. Read More »
A Kleiner Perkins-backed startup is supplying the gear for the largest solar farm in the world that will use concentrating photovoltaics — a hybrid tech that uses solar cells and solar thermal tech. Read More »
Heat has long been the enemy of solar cells — high temperatures can cook a cell and most cells aren’t set up to take advantage of the heat beating down from the sun. But not to a group of Stanford researchers. Read More »
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