SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Intermediate Band Solar Cell Technology
- Notice Date
- 9/17/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory (DOE Contractor), Los Alamos, PO Box 1663 MS: C334, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- LA-UR-07-6181
- Response Due
- 10/1/2007
- Archive Date
- 10/2/2007
- Description
- Intermediate Band Solar Cell Technology Call for Commercialization Plans Los Alamos National Laboratory Technology: Solar cell efficiency limitations for commercially available silicon solar cells remain at approximately 14-16%. Unfortunately, the highest efficiency cells aren?t always the most economical and thus have not yet realized significant market penetration. A variety of methods have been developed in an effort to improve technological efficiency in the solar cell industry, but certain physical, chemical, and economic constraints prevent successful commercialization. Recent research at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) introduced a method of potentially increasing solar cell efficiency using Intermediate Band Solar Technology. This method uses interface mixing procedures and nano-sized optoelectric structures believed to increase solar cell efficiency much further above and beyond current capabilities. The Problem: Optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, radiation detectors, and light emitting diodes generally depend on bulk effects of semiconducting materials, in which only a single band-gap is accessible under these conditions, which constrains the upper limit of efficiency to less than 41%. In the present state of the art, photons with energy below the band-gap are not absorbed in a material. Conversely, photons above the band-gap are absorbed, but the excess energy of the photon above the band-gap is lost to heat. This leads to sub-optimal single band-gap efficiency. A Possible Solution: Proprietary interface mixing procedures developed at LANL introduce a second band inside the band-gap described above. Photons with energy below the band-gap, which would normally not be absorbed, will then excite electrons from the valence band into the intermediate band or from the intermediate band into the conduction band, thus producing electricity from sub-band-gap radiation. This may lead to much greater energy production than what is currently possible. LANL researchers believe that further development of these basic techniques will generate new technologies that will greatly improve band-gap efficiencies to perhaps beyond 60%. Consequently, overall solar cell efficiency is expected to increase as a result of these advancements. Development Stage: Resources are required to perform proof-of-concept work. Applications: ? Photovoltaic cells ? Radiation detectors ? Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Benefits: ? Increased energy output per solar cell (improved efficiency) ? Potential decrease in solar cell footprint per given quantity of light ? Reduced unit cost Call for Commercialization Plans: LANL is requesting Letters of Interest from parties who would like to receive additional information regarding this commercialization opportunity. Letters of Interest must be received at LANL by COB October 1, 2007. This is not a call for proposals and no funding is available from Los Alamos National Laboratory related to this notice. LANL Mission: The Technology Transfer Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory is tasked with moving technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace for the benefit of society and the U.S. economy. Additionally, LANL has a responsibility to help support and sustain economic development in the region. Intellectual Property: LANL has applied for U.S. patent protection (U.S. Patent Application No. 11/712,128), as well as international patent protection to protect its development efforts related to Intermediate Band Solar Cell Technology. This IP will be available for either exclusive or non-exclusive licensing, depending on the merits of the commercialization plans received. Additional details regarding the relevant patent applications will be provided to interested parties once a Non-Disclosure Agreement has been executed. Letter of Interest: LANL will select the most qualified licensee(s) through a competitive call for commercialization proposals ? the Letter of Interest being the first step in that process. Your Letter of Interest should include the following information: ? Description of your company and its mission; ? Explanation of your company?s interest in the technology and its relevance to the company?s goals and product offering(s); ? Description of your company?s experience in developing and marketing a technology in this industry; ? Any questions that you would like to have answered regarding the LANL technology. This letter must be received by COB October 1, 2007. Letters may be sent to the contact listed below. LANL Contact: Michael Erickson Technology Transfer Division Los Alamos National Laboratory P.O. Box 1663, MS C334 Los Alamos, NM 87545 Telephone: 505-667-8087 Fax: 505-665-0154 Email: michaele@lanl.gov Next Steps: Once LANL has received your Letter of Interest, we will ask that you execute a bilateral Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the Laboratory. This will need to be executed before LANL can share or receive any proprietary information. LANL is requesting that the execution of the NDA be completed by COB October 8, 2007. Once the NDA has been executed, LANL will send a Commercialization Plan template to each qualified respondent that previously submitted a Letter of Interest. The package will include details regarding the following time line: 1) submission date for Commercialization Plans; 2) target date for selection of the most qualified licensee(s); and 3) the negotiation and license execution process. Commercialization plans will be held as company proprietary information and no information from one applicant will be shared with any other. Commercialization Process: ? Submit Letter of Interest by October 1, 2007 to the contact listed above. ? LANL will send a bilateral Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Please sign and return to LANL by COB October 8, 2007. ? Submit commercialization plan to LANL by COB November 2, 2007. ? Commercialization plans will be reviewed by the LANL selection committee. ? Selected licensee(s) will be notified by November 14, 2007 and provided with a license term sheet to initiate negotiations. ? It is anticipated that any ensuing license agreement(s) will be executed with the selected respondent(s) on or before January 31, 2008. Please note the following information in evaluating this commercialization opportunity: There is a possibility that the inventing scientist at LANL may elect to form a start-up company and compete for a license to this technology. To avoid any possible conflict of interest in the event that this situation materializes, the Laboratory will not share any information from any applicant with the LANL scientist, nor will they be involved in the selection of the final licensee(s). Licensee Selection Criteria: LANL?s license negotiating team will select the most qualified licensee(s) based upon each company?s Commercialization Plan and how adequately it meets the general selection criteria set forth below, including the technology commercialization strategy detailed therein. Our goal is to select the company(ies) that are most qualified and have the necessary experience and resources to successfully commercialize the LANL technology. Specific evaluation criteria include, but are not limited to the following: ? Licensing interest. Exclusive vs. non-exclusive, including segmentation by specific applications; ? Technology commercialization strategy (e.g., in-house manufacturing, partnering with industry leaders, sublicensing, etc.); ? Business and marketing plan; ? Financial resources that will be dedicated to this commercialization project; ? Instrumentation / technical expertise relevant to this specific technology; ? Management team / Product champion; and ? Regional economic development / impact Thank you for your interest in pursuing this commercialization opportunity. If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to Michael Erickson (see contact information above).
- Place of Performance
- Address: PO Box 1663, MS C334, Los Alamos, NM
- Zip Code: 87545
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 87545
- Record
- SN01409130-W 20070919/070917220202 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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