China Nuvo is an early-stage company developing a commercially viable,
higher efficiency stacked photovoltaic solar cell. The newly acquired
IP is for enhancements of existing technologies that range from
increases in output and efficiency to the use of lower cost newly
discovered photovoltaic materials and processes, the company said.
The company thinks the technologies could, when commercialized,
reduce the cost per kilowatt hour of solar energy, allowing it to be
more competitive with other energy sources. China Nuvo said it’s
finalizing utility patents for those it acquired from Photovoltaics
that are currently provisional. China Nuvo wasn’t yet ready to announce
how the newly acquired technologies fit into the company’s business
model, adding that details would be announced once they were fully
developed.
China Nuvo acquired exclusive, worldwide licensing rights to
additional solar cell technology from Photovoltaics in 2006, purchasing
the technology 2008. The technology includes multi-layer photovoltaic
cells incorporating integral light-transmitting materials that act as
wave guides in directing light to targeted areas, according to the
company.
To minimize startup costs of solar cell manufacturing, China Nuvo
has an agreement with Pioneer Materials to establish a pilot production
line by building out and modifying Pioneer’s existing manufacturing
facility in the Sichuan province. Pioneer supplies advanced materials
for thin-film photovoltaic processing (see China thin film industry needs industrial lift).
Earlier this year, Jiashan, China-based solar wafer maker ReneSola (NYSE:SOL) secured a loan of RMB 800 million ($117 million) to build its polysilicon plant in Sichuan province, China (see ReneSola secures $117M loan for polysilicon plant).