Fiberstars Receives $240,000 to Fund Solar R&D

Fiber-optic lighting maker Fiberstars Inc. of Solon, Ohio, announced it has received $240,000 in funding through the Very High Efficiency Solar Concentrator Consortium (VHESC), which it joined in 2006. DARPA established the VHESC program to demonstrate at least 50 percent efficiency in a photovoltaic (PV) device. The consortium is led by the University of Delaware and includes the top solar teams in industry and academia, including the University of Rochester, BP Solar and DuPont. Fiberstars has been working with the group to develop materials, processes and optics to speed the solar industry's development of higher efficiency solar cells. The money it received will fund its contributions through the project's next stage. VHESC's goal is to more than double the efficiency of the most efficient solar cell from 24.7 percent to 50 percent by 2010. The consortium is exploring new ways to fabricate novel structures for advanced high-efficiency PV solar power sources. Fiberstars is investigating ways its fiber-optic technology can be applied to deliver direct sunlight to solar cells. The company said the VHESC technology will enable US servicemen to easily recharge equipment without having to carry heavy batteries, and will also have residential and commercial applications.