New System Could Cut Solar Costs
SolFocus-PARC technology employs mirrors and silicon chips
Dean Takahashi, San Jose Mecury News, February 16, 2006
A new solar energy system devised by entrepreneurs in a Silicon Valley garage could cut the cost of solar power in commercial buildings by at least half, Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center is expected to announce today.
The entrepreneurs' start-up, SolFocus in Palo Alto, partnered with PARC to create the technology, scheduled to begin production this year. The first version cuts the cost of power per watt of energy by as much as half, said Gary Conley, chief executive of SolFocus. A more advanced version will be commercially available in two to three years, and save even more money, he said.
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