Solarno is a company that received a STTR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Synthesis of multifunctional nanofibrous polyaniline/carbon composites. Their their award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and their project will develop novel multifunctional materials based on polyaniline (PAni) nanofibers (PANFs) and carbon nanofibers(CNFs) for energy storage. Although PAni composites have been reported for a wide range of applications, including sensors, biosensors, photoelectrochromic cells, etc., due to their excellent electrical, thermal and mechanical properties, none capitalize on the enhanced properties expected from the combination of PANF with CNF. PANFs have greater electronic conductivity than PAni nanospheres and nanorods and can be synthesized on a variety of substrates. Solarno will use a proprietary process for synthesizing composites of PANFs on CNFs. In Phase I Solarno will use these composites as electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors, an enabling technology that provides both high energy and power, with the specific technical objectives of: synthesizing and characterizing PANFs on CNF substrates, and achieving supercapacitor performance of 15 Wh/kg, 10 kW/kg and >10 cycles, thus far exceeding current lead acid batteries in terms of power and cycle life. In Phase II we will improve the energy density of these devices to enable potential replacement of such batteries, and explore other functions for the composites, such as sensors and electro-chemical devices. The PANF/CNF composites developed by Solarno will be introduced to the supercapacitor market via materials sales, and partnering/licensing arrangements, and later to related electrochemical functions/applications. Solarno is targeting requirements of the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) market for its initial supercapacitor designs, and as such, the ultimate customers will be major automobile manufacturers. The market requires that capacitors provide higher energy density, reduced size, higher reliability, and lower cost. Commercially available EDLCs commonly provide energy densities around 4 Wh/kg, and power densities between 15-21 kW/kg. The supercapacitor developed here can excel in this market by providing energy density > 25 Wh/kg and better reliability (>2.0 x 104 cycles); the Phase I work will optimize the properties of our PANF/CNF composite to meet this goal. The supercapacitors will also be well-suited for load-leveling for renewable energy sources; direct societal benefits will come from improving the viability of HEVs and renewable sources, tied to reductions in fossil fuel consumption, providing bridge power for wind and solar power farms, and partially replacing lead acid storage batteries. The results of this work in optimizing PAni composites for supercapacitors will translate well into improved functionality for other applications.

Nanoptek Corporation is developing technology that produces hydrogen directly from sunlight and water with a nano-engineered photocatalyst (patents pending). Nanoptek's Solar Hydrogen Generators will employ this photocatalyst to produce low-cost carbon-free hydrogen anywhere in the world, for use in clean power production, manufacturing, and transportation.

Tisol is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Scalable fabrication of mesoporous thin-films for production of efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. Their project aims to apply a specialized method to develop a rapid, large-scale and inexpensive thin film deposition technology. The goal is to enable the low-cost mass production and maintain the optimized nanostructures and film properties of efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. The broader societal/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to reduce production costs of materials used in dye-sensitized solar cells. Compared to other solar cell technologies, dye-sensitized solar cell technology has the potential of (1) low cost due to the abundance of elements that constitute the cell; (2) lightweight thus reduced installation cost and enhanced flexibility. However, recent advances in photovoltaics industry set a cost standard of < $1/Watt. If dye-sensitized solar cells were to be at par with current technologies on the market, the cost of thin film deposition has to be reduced. This project targets on the development of a high-throughput and large-scale thin film deposition process, which will make the solar electricity via dye-sensitized technology more cost-effective and thus more available.

developed a technology that aims to allow for more efficient use of crystalline silicon in solar cells - a that could allow solar cells to generate electricity at costs competitive with conventional energy sources.

AOS Solar was started in 2005 to combine the material cost and manufacturing process economics of thin film solar PV with the efficiency and reliability of crystalline silicon solar PV. The company have an initial prototype solar coupon built and tested using technology. nnThe company's key enablers to achieve market traction are the cost and reliability of the company's product. The silicon on glass (SOG) technology the company are developing will enable solar panels costing around $1/watt to manufacture on the company's pilot line, with lower costs as the company ramp up production due to manufacturing efficiencies and learning curve. Solar silicon is an established technology with proven 20+ year life (versus newer thin film technologies). nnToday the company have working coupons at 7.5% efficiency and the company are working to scale up to larger cells with target 9% efficiency in Q-1, 2008. The company's form factor and efficiency limits are based on first generation technology. By scaling the company's manufacturing and improving the company's technology the company expect to achieve 16 - 18% efficiency in a single junction and 22 - 24% efficiency in a double junction module. nnThe company's A round funding will be used to continue development of the company's equipment / process technology in order to manufacture on larger substrates (2.5' x 4' glass) and to design a scaled up manufacturing line (30+MW annual capacity) based on this development.

Telio Solar Technologies, Inc. is a company focusing on development & manufacturing of CIGS Thin Film Solar Cells. The company's goal is to produce the most cost effective manufacturing technology for CIGS solar modules in large scale and achieve one of the highest CIGS cell efficiency and yield in the industry. The company believe the company can accelerate the advancement of CIGS technology and its successful commercialization. CIGS is prospected to be the solar cell technology with the advantages of high energy conversion efficiency, production throughputs and cost-effective production and Telio Solar intends to fully optimize these advantages to bring mass production to the market.