AccuStrata wins $150,000 in federal stimulus funds
June 11, 2009

A College Park solar technology startup is receiving $150,000 in federal stimulus funds as part of an effort to push forward more mainstream use of solar photovoltaic products.

AccuStrata Inc., which is housed in the University of Marylands Technology Advancement Program incubator, is receiving the Department of Energy funds for a one-year time frame to test out a single concept federal leaders think could shine more light on the solar photovoltaic industry.

After developing a system that wrings even more power out of solar cells, the company is tasked by DOE to refine its real-time, optical monitoring system for solar photovoltaics to improve their processes and cut their costs. The idea is to fashion new technology that could be rolled out on the solar photovoltaic market in the next two to six years.

Company researchers have been focused on improving thin-film solar cell manufacturing to potentially double the amount of solar power that can be converted into energy 20 percent of a suns rays, rather than todays norm of 10 percent in the process ringing up more revenue for solar panel manufacturers and bringing down costs for consumers.

AccuStrata, which must supply matching funds through this stimulus grant, is one of roughly two-dozen technology companies nationwide accepting Recovery Act checks totaling $22 million to research or demonstrate projects that can help speed the use of solar photovoltaics to generate electricity. The federal agencys goal is for the solar technology to contribute equally to the power grid by 2015.