$24 Million in 'Nano' Awards by DARPA

$24 Million in 'Nano' Awards by DARPA

Palo Alto, California - August 24, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] Nanosys and Nanosolar share more than a common goal in the production of flexible, low-cost solar cells. The United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded each business a solar cell-related contract for research and development in the field of plastic solar cells. The total award for both contracts is $24 Million.

Nanosys is a nanotechnology specialist, and their USD 14 million contract for solar cell development will include up to $2.2 million of funding in the first 12 months of the contract. The company creates power generation solutions for military applications, and they will collaborate with the University of California at Berkeley and the Battelle Memorial Institute. Additional phases of development will be funded based upon the further approval of DARPA for up to 5 years.

Nanosolar develops roll-printed solar electricity cells, and their $10.3 million contract was made through DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO). The contract will enable Nanosolar to continue to develop innovative approaches "that enable revolutionary advances in performance, device design, and manufacture of solar electricity cells", according to the company. They will collaborate with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories and the Sandia National Laboratories on next-generation solar cells.

"The U.S. Department of Defense requires flexible, reduced weight power solutions for applications ranging from dismounted combatants on earth to high altitude airships and spacecraft," said Darrel Hopper, Principal Electronics Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory and DARPA's Agent and Program Manager for the Nanosys effort.

For Further Information:

• Nanosys Inc.

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