Apr. 19--By Larisa Brass, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
A device to improve the reliability and efficiency of electricity generated by the sun, the wind and other renewable sources has been licensed to a Knoxville organization that hopes to commercialize it.
The technology was developed at Virginia Tech by Jason Lai, a University of
Tennessee graduate who has worked at EPRI-PEAC, an electric power research and
testing firm in Knoxville.
PEMDA licensed exclusive rights for the technology's use with renewable
energy power sources such as solar and wind.
The technology transforms DC voltage generated by solar panels or wind
turbines into AC current more efficiently, reliably and cost effectively than
other technologies, said Steve Levy of PEMDA.
The agreement was signed in the local office of Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. The
Knoxville Republican helped secure a grant for Virginia Tech to develop the
technology.
Levy said PEMDA is working to raise $500,000 to $2 million to further develop
it and plans to sub-license it for commercialization or build and sell it.
-----
To see more of The Knoxville News-Sentinel or to subscribe
to the newspaper, go to http://www.knoxnews.com
.
Copyright (c) 2005, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at
(800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail
reprints@krtinfo.com.