Companies to Watch: Private CompaniesBy TR Editors
Company: Nanosolar Although thin-film solar cells are far less efficient than traditional silicon cells, they could be a lot cheaper to make. Nanosolar has developed an ink made from nanoparticles that allows solar panels to be printed on metal foil by the roll. Its factory in California and a panel assembly facility near Berlin are expected to begin large-scale production later this year.
Smart-grid technology is designed to give utilities and customers real-time information about energy usage; utilities can use this information to respond more effectively to variations in supply and demand. Tendril makes outlets and thermostats that allow appliances and heating and cooling systems to be controlled through a Web interface. For example, air conditioners could be turned off during times of peak demand.
Hopes to combine a number of incremental design and manufacturing innovations in multicrystalline-silicon solar cells, with a goal of making solar competitive with coal by 2012.The company's first advance was a grooved ribbon that reflects more light onto the surface of the cell, improving efficiency by 2 percent. The company has also modified the cell's architecture to improve efficiency even further while keeping production costs constant.
Is trying to move wind turbines further offshore, using "jacket" support structures from the oil and gas drilling industry that are less costly than steel foundations. The company hopes to have America's first offshore wind farm running off Rhode Island by 2012.
Hopes to corner the rooftop-photovoltaic market with panels composed of rows of cylindrical thin-film solar cells. These can absorb sunlight from all angles and are cheaper to install than conventional flat panels. The company has a U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee for half a billion dollars, which will be used to build a manufacturing facility to churn out enough solar panels each year to generate 500 megawatts.
A leader in developing and manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles, the company also produces multimegawatt battery units used to stabilize the electrical grid and store energy produced during off-peak hours for use when demand spikes.
Has contracts to supply 2.6 gigawatts of electricity to utilities using its solar thermal technology. Each solar plant will use tens of thousands of mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays on a central tower to boil water that will generate steam to turn a turbine. A 410-megawatt facility in Ivanpah, CA, the company's first, is expected to be in operation by 2012, with other farms in development throughout the Southwest.
Makes network equipment for consumer smart-grid technologies, such as smart meters, that are easier for utilities to incorporate. Its system communicates wirelessly, using standard Internet protocols.
Is trying to create new sites for geothermal plants by fracturing the hot, dry bedrock present everywhere underneath the earth's surface and then feeding cold water into the fractures to retrieve the heat. The technique can create small earthquakes, however; a DOE safety study could derail the company's demonstration project in Northern California.
Uses large, mirrored parabolic dishes to concentrate light driving a stirling engine located at the dish's focus. The engine converts thermal energy directly to mechanical energy to turn a generator. The company has contracts to produce nearly a gigawatt of power for the California grid in the coming years. Read more: » Solar Power Will Make a Difference--Eventually » Clean-Energy Bill Will Have Little Impact » Companies to Watch Private, and Public |
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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
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