Konarka Technologies

Infobox Company
company_name = Konarka Technologies, Inc.
company_
company_type = Private
foundation = 2001
founder =
location_city = Lowell, Massachusetts
location_country = USA
location = coord|42.6471|N|71.3079|W|
key_people = Howard Berke, Executive chairman; Rick Hess, CEO; Daniel E. Geffken, EVP and CFO; Daniel P. McGahn, EVP and CMO
industry = Solar energy
products = Photovoltaics
num_employees = 45 (2007)
homepage = [http://www.konarka.com www.konarka.com]

Konarka Technologies, Inc. is a solar energy company based in Lowell, Massachusetts, founded in 2001 as a spin-off from University of Massachusetts. The company is developing lightweight, flexible photovoltaics that can be printed as film or onto surfaces.

The company hopes its manufacturing process, which utilizes organic chemistry, will result in higher energy conversion efficiency at lower cost than traditional silicon fabricated solar cells. Konarka is also researching infrared light activated photovoltaics which would enable night-time power generation.

The company's co-founders include the Nobel laureate Alan J. Heeger. [ [http://www.konarka.com/about/leadership_team/founding_scientists.php# Konarka founding scientists] . Konarka website.]

Funding

As of 2006, Konarka has received $60 million in funding from venture capital firms including 3i, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, New Enterprise Associates, Good Energies and Chevron Technology Ventures. [cite press release
publisher=Konarka Technologies, Inc.
date=2006-02-14
url=http://www.konarka.com/news_and_events/press_releases/2006/2_february/0214_3i.php
format=
title=Konarka Raises $20 Million in Venture Capital Financing Led by 3i
accessdate=2007-02-09 ] Konarka has also received nearly $10 million in combined grants from the Pentagon and European governments, and in 2007 was approved for further funding through the Solar America Initiative, a component of the White House's Advanced Energy Initiative. [cite news
title = Solar Technology Gets White House Boost
work = The Boston Herald
date = 2007-03-08
url = http://business.bostonherald.com/technologyNews/view.bg?articleid=187251
accessdate = 2007-03-08] The company raised a further $45 million in private capital financing in October 2007 in a financing round led by Mackenzie Financial Corporation. [cite press release
publisher=Konarka Technologies, Inc.
date=2007-10-01
url=http://www.konarka.com/news_and_events/press_releases/2007/10_october/1001_45_million.php
format=
title=Konarka Secures $45 Million in Private Capital Financing
accessdate=2008-01-21 ]

Technology

Konarka builds photovoltaic products using next generation nanomaterials that are coated on rolls of plastic. Konarka's nanomaterials absorb sunlight and indoor light and convert them into electrical energy. These products can be easily integrated as the power generation component for a variety of applications and can be produced and used virtually anywhere.Konarka is one of several companies developing nanotechnology-based solar cells, others include Nanosolar and Nanosys. [cite news
title = As solar gets smaller, its future gets brighter: Nanotechnology could turn rooftops into a sea of power-generating stations
work = San Francisco Chronicle
date = 2005-07-11
url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/11/BUG7IDL1AF1.DTL
accessdate = 2008-02-01]

The heart of Konarka’s technology is a new way to make photovoltaic cells. These cells are created using nanoscale titanium dioxide particles. The chemical is coated with a special light-sensitive dye, which generates electricity when it is illuminated. [cite news
title = Konarka: Giant Leap With Nano-based Solar Power
date = 2006-07-11
url = http://www.indolink.com/SciTech/fr071104-101529.php
accessdate = 2008-01-21] Konarka’s unique photo-reactive materials can be printed or coated inexpensively onto flexible substrates using roll-to-roll manufacturing, similar to how newspaper is printed on large rolls of paper. Konarka’s manufacturing process enables production to scale easily and results in significantly reduced costs over previous generations of solar cells. [ [http://www.konarka.com/technology/ Konarka's Technology] . Konarka website.]

Flexible battery

Flexible batteries has thin-solar cells which are held inside a flexible gas barrier to prevent them from degrading when exposed to air. At just two grams in weight and just one millimetre thick, the flexible battery is small enough to be used in low-wattage gadgets - including flat smart cards and mobile phones. The potential for this type of product is large, given that there is a growing demand for portable self-rechargeable power supplies [http://www.itpro.co.uk/109555/eu-researchers-make-flexible-solar-battery , in the Solar Energy Journal] .

Patents

Konarka has been issued a number of United States patents relating to its photovoltaics research:
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6706963 6706963] , Jan 25, 2002, "Photovoltaic cell interconnection"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6858158 6858158] , Jan 24, 2003, "Low temperature interconnection of nanoparticles"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6900382 6900382] , Jan 24, 2003, "Gel electrolytes for dye sensitized solar cells"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6913713 6913713] , Jan 24, 2003, "Photovoltaic fibers"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6924427 6924427] , Jan 24, 2003, "Wire interconnects for fabricating interconnected photovoltaic cells
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6933436 6933436] , Apr 27, 2001, "Photovoltaic cell"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6949400 6949400] , Jan 24, 2003, "Ultrasonic slitting of photovoltaic cells and modules"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7022910 7022910] , Mar 24, 2003, "Photovoltaic cells utilizing mesh electrodes"
* [http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7071139 7071139] , Dec 20, 2002, "Oxynitride compounds, methods of preparation, and uses thereof"
* 7186911, Jan 24, 2003, "Methods of scoring for fabricating interconnected photovoltaic cells"

See also

* Low cost solar cell

References

External links

* [http://www.konarka.com/ Official website] of Konarka Technologies, Inc.
* [http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Konarka's_PowerPlastic_Photovoltaic_Solar Konarka in PesWiki]

Finance links
name = Konarka Technologies, Inc.
google = 13306589
yahoo = 131/131815
hoovers = 131815