Nov 24 2010
The Cleantech Open 2010 business competition has chosen Silicon Solar Solutions as a finalist for the Most Promising Cleantech Startups category. Silicon Solar, an Arkansas based Startup Company, has devised a method for crystallizing amorphous silicon into large grain sized polysilicon, to be used in thin-film and wafer-based silicon applications.
Using this echnology the grain size is 150 times bigger than the existing grains, and it also abolishes material and processing steps and decreases the overall cost of silicon solar cells by almost $0.42 per watt.
271 teams from over five regions submitted proposals for competing in the 2010 Cleantech Open in the month of March. 81 were sent to the semifinals, and Silicon Solar was chosen as a finalist from this list. According to Justin Kaster, Cleantech Open’s regional director for the North Central Region, Silicon Solar fulfilled the chief criterion of investment potential, by demonstrating their remarkable competitive advantage and first-rate business potential, and hence was chosen after a highly rigorous and intensive judging process.
Silicon Solar has also won various other tributes such as the Grand Prize in the Energy Track, issued by the 2010 Oakridge National Labs Venture Challenge. The Department of Energy in its Solar Technology Roadmap has identified seven major areas out of which five areas are covered by Silicon Solar’s technology. Douglas Hutchings, Silicon Solar’s CEO, remarked that it was a matter of pride for the company to be chosen as a finalist in the Cleantech Open. This Prize was not only about the monetary contribution but also about fulfilling the long desired objective of presenting their products before a vast group of industry specialists and financial promoters. He mentioned that his team was absolutely thrilled to take part in the Awards Gala and compete for the National Winner Prize.
The Cleantech Open competition proffers financial awards to the tune of $1 million, and also has a target of creating 100,000 green jobs in America by 2015, with the help of its 100K Jobs Challenge. 22 States have participated in the 2010 competition, and the number is expected to increase to 30 states by 2011.