Mar 17 2010
Apollo Solar Energy has awarded a $1.5 million, three-year grant to NJIT to set up a solar research center. Apollo Solar Energy, which is based in Chengdu in China, is engaged in mining and refining tellurium and tellurium-based metals for particular segments of the electronic materials market across the world.
Vice President of research and development, Donald H. Sebastian, PhD, said the solar research center will concentrate on advancing the Cadmium telluride semiconductor materials applications for utilizing in thin film solar cells. Solar arrays that use thin film technology have been proven to cut down per watt cost by one-third when compared with cost per watt for conventional systems.
Sichuan Apollo Solar Science & Technology Co., Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of Apollo Solar Energy, Inc., is mainly involved in the manufacture of Te-based compounds that are used to produce thin film solar cells, solar electronic products, and cell modules.
The products from the company include CdTe thin film compounds for the manufacture of thin-film solar electric power modules, ultra-high purity Te to make radiation and infrared detectors, and other purity metals such as bismuth, selenium, zinc, and antimony for use in several electronic material market segments consisting of radiation detector, PV, and infrared detection.