HelioVolt

Infobox Company
name = HelioVolt Corporation

type = Private
genre =
foundation = 2001
founder = Dr. B.J. Stanbery
location_city = Austin, Texas
location_country = U.S.
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Dr. B.J. Stanbery (CEO)
Dr. Robert Oswald
John Langdon
Iga Hallberg
Steve Darnell
Larry Peruffo
David Bowen
David Hughen

industry = Solar Energy
products = Solar panels
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner =
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
homepage = [http://www.heliovolt.net/ heliovolt.net]
footnotes =
intl =

HelioVolt Corporation is a solar energy company specialising in Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) non-vacuum nanomaterial-based solar panel technology. The company has attracted over $100 million in investment. It is based in Austin, Texas.

Company

HelioVolt Corporation was founded in 2001 in order to develop and market new technology for applying thin-film photovoltaic coatings to conventional construction materials. The company’s [http://www.heliovolt.net//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=46 FASST] process,cite news|title=HelioVolt and NREL extend CRADA to commercialize solar nanotechnology| url=http://www.nanotechnology.com/~nanotech/news/?id=8956|publisher=Nanotechnology.com|date=2006-09-12] based on semiconductor printing, was invented by HelioVolt founder Dr. Billy J. Stanbery, an expert in the materials science of CIGS and related compound semiconductors. [http://www.heliovolt.net//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=46 FASST] is a patented manufacturing process for CIGS synthesis. [cite news|title=HelioVolt’s Solar Technology Awarded Two Wall Street Journal Innovation Honors| url=http://www.nsti.org/press/PRshow.html?id=1377|publisher=Nano Science and Technology Institute|date=2006-09-28]

Investment History

Large-scale investment in HelioVolt began with $8 million in Series A funding from New Enterprise Associates in 2005. [cite news
title=HelioVolt Receives $8 Million Investment from New Enterprise Associates
url=http://www.solarheadlines.com/?q=node/813
publisher=Solar Headlines
date=2005-06-20] A further $77 million was added in a Series B funding round co-led by Paladin Capital Group and the Masdar Clean Tech Fund in August 2007. [cite news
title=HelioVolt Completes $77 Million Series B Funding Round
url=http://www.venturecapitalreporter.com/HelioVolt-Completes-77-Million-Series-B-Funding-Round.htm
publisher=Venture Capital Reporter
date=2007-08-16] The Series B funding round was closed for a total of $101 million in October 2007with investments from Sequel Venture Partners, Noventi, and Passport Capital. [cite news
title=HelioVolt raises $101M — biggest solar investment yet?
url=http://venturebeat.com/2007/10/21/heliovolt-raises-101m-biggest-solar-investment-yet/
publisher=VentureBeat
date=2007-10-21] The latest investment will be used to build factories.

Technology

HelioVolt has developed a new way to manufacture thin-film CIGS semiconductor coatings for solar panels, based on research into the fundamental device physics of the CIGS semiconductor material. [cite news
title=Nanostructure Discovery by HelioVolt CEO Propels Solar Thin-Film Commercialization
url=http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=2514
publisher=nanotechwire.com
date=2005-01-11] Conventional semiconductor processing requires a vacuum process to deposit the semiconductor film on the substrate. The need for vacuum chambers makes this a lengthy batch-oriented production process. HelioVolt has developed a nanomaterial-based coating that can be sprayed onto a wide variety of substrates without requiring a vacuum. Non-vacuum or atmospheric deposition processes offer a combination of lower costs, process simplicity and reduced manufacturing times. cite news|title=HelioVolt and NREL extend CRADA to commercialize solar nanotechnology| url=http://www.nanotechnology.com/~nanotech/news/?id=8956|publisher=Nanotechnology.com|date=2006-09-12] The company's [http://www.heliovolt.net//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=46 FASST] manufacturing process won a [http://www.nanotechbriefs.com/nano50/index.html Nanotech Briefs "Nano 50"]
nanotechnology award in 2006. [cite news
title=Nanotech Briefs Nano 50 Award Winners, 2006
url=http://www.nanotechbriefs.com/nano50/nano50_winners_06.html
publisher=Nanotech Briefs]
Nanosolar, Inc. and International Solar Electric Technology have developed similar technologies.

References

External links

* [http://www.heliovolt.net HelioVolt company website]