You would thought they would have picked a company with a proven track record as this company seems to be an LED company more than anything. Huge amount of German, Spanish, Portuguese companies, Israelis...etc that specilize in Solar.
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With our exclusive partner,
EPIR Technologies, Sunovia is
developing a solar cell that is a derivative of the most advanced infrared materials in the world. We have created a photovoltaic (PV) material that captures a broader range of the light spectra—both non-visible (UV) and visible light—and can be manufactured for a fraction of the cost of competing products.
Our proprietary manufacturing techniques for the commercialization of cadmium telluride on silicon (CdTe/Si) PV materials have proven to create the most uniform and efficient solar cells in the world, validated by the United States Army Research Laboratory (same as above).
The unique physical properties of CdTe make it incredibly efficient in converting the sun’s energy into electricity. And CdTe maintains its efficiency at higher temperatures, making it ideally suited for solar applications. Silicon (Si) is a very well-developed semiconductor material with a vast infrastructure and inventory of manufacturing processes and equipment, as a result of the booming semiconductor industry.
The integration of CdTe and Si was long thought by much of the solar photovoltaic community to be impossible. The breakthrough was delivered by Sunovia’s exclusive partner, EPIR Technologies, while developing infrared sensors for night-vision systems. The tremendous cost advantages and efficiencies achieved by this process are driving system development innovations that will
enable an installed cost of energy equal to or better than utility grid pricing.
Sunovia’s next-generation solar cells will be integrated into concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems.
The use of high-volume, low-cost optics and automatic assembly methods, with low capital and labor costs, will enable rapid scaling.
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It was not the experience in deploying and installation of a commercial company, the reason which motivated the DR's to sign the deal. It was the actual test of a model system by the company and the results were incomparable to any of the other candidates that a team visited during last year (yes! many of the so much criticized technical appointments by the gov under the radar).
I told you about this before here, along wind, bio-fuels and also a much-still being studied NUCLEAR option down the line with Japan's Mitsubishi's Heavy Industries.
The output of the optical cells goes beyond the capacity of the ones tested real time by other companies we visited with. That's to say; very smart people with the right knowledge in the fields were given the task of representing the technical test group for the DR.
We're talking about people with MAJOR experience in related work for BIG companies and governments in the world, but all of them Dominican citizens with the same urge to see changes take place in our country.
I told you here before in DR1 forums, about the work being done to bring multiple redundancies to our power needs in the country.
Many just discarded the proposals under study as "dreaming" or "wishful never to be" ideas and projects.
The plant by itself is limited in capacity and extension. It will NOT offer a solution to our current grid deficiencies, but one thing this aims for, is the transfer of technology to our country on a royalty basis. This project is the baby steps to include solar energy technologies in our student's medium for good. As you may as well know, solar energy production requires certain area reservations to be able to provide a significant power emission. The scope and size of the plant is not small nor is it a huge acres-hungry one. Call it a medium sized plant at initial stage, with a viable and workable potential for extension as needed down the line.
We're looking at two fronts on the energy problem facing us:
#1 Production and effective distribution.
#2 Consumption.
It won't matter how fast we meet current demands and deficiency of transmission in our present grid, if our demand is going to increase even more after a reliable and efficient solution is in place.
Lowering consumption is therefore the other side of the coin for us...
On that matter you'll hear news soon from the gov...
The company we opted to work with, is a top tier group with extensive work for the Defense Dept of the US and other major govs as well. Much of their actual and previous work is classified and that gives the impression of them being some "light weight" players in the filed of solar plants. But believe me when I tell you, these guys are anything but little guys in most any field I understand them to be active on.
The DR will get the MOST ADVANCED solar energy plant we could get anywhere in the world. Just like the Metro and the incorporation from the ground-up in the newest and most advanced rail technologies in the world (a fact), the solar plant that's going to be built is so new and advanced that ours will be the first commercially made and operated outside of their US developing grounds and lab.
How efficient is this new technology employed by the company in question? Very! Very efficient! Nothing tested by our team came close to it, including the big names in the world and them some...
What do we want? To be able to manufacture the actual cells in the DR, while also developing the educational background to support the innovations in the related field for our students.
Next: Wind farms in the DR... Still the team sent to probe the industry is out testing and making contacts with the players out there. No winners yet to pick...
PS: Forget Sunovia and check the actual wing in charge. The Sunovia thing is a req. from the US State Dept only...
http://www.epir.com/
