EnergyBiz - September/October 2007 - (Page 90) a decade. Symko-Davies estimated that NREL has invested more than $3 million in developing the technology since 2000. Most of that money has gone to Spectrolab. “There has not been a lot of competition in this area,” she noted. “People really weren’t convinced multi-junction concentrator technology was really going to be costeffective. But now we are seeing a pop in the number of solar companies trying to find a niche market.” David Lillington, Spectrolab’s president, explained that the multi-junction cells have a great efficiency advantage over conventional silicon cells used in concentrator systems because fewer cells are needed to reach the same power output. He noted that the solar energy performance level of the company’s solar cell is the highest efficiency level any photovoltaic device has ever achieved. The company’s customers for the technology are solar energy system providers that include the cells in the systems they manufacture, not traditional utility companies. Spectrolab works closely with domestic and foreign solar concentrator manufacturers. “We’ve always been on the lookout to find options to grow our business, and for the last 10 years we have made a substantial commitment to improving the commercial efficiency of space and terrestrial solar cells,” Lillington explained. Dr. Richard King, principal scientist for Spectrolab, said further, steady efficiency improvements in the technology are likely during the next few years. Spectrolab, based in Los Angeles, is the world’s leading provider of space solar cells, solar simulators and highintensity lighting products. It provides products to the commercial satellite industry, the U.S. Defense Department, NASA and aerospace companies. For more than a year, the company’s terrestrial concentrator photovoltaic solar cells have been used to deliver power to the electricity grid in Arizona and in Australia. The company’s high-efficiency terrestrial concentrator solar cell technology has won a number of awards since 2001 from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and NASA. Some systems avoid the dirty work. We say bring it on. Spending time in the field is a fact of life for utilities. Sometimes, things can get a little messy, which is fine…as long as you don’t get bogged down. Neptune’s FieldNet® software by DB Microware makes your time in the field as efficient and productive as possible. FieldNet can combine full route control, meter reading, collections, and meter-related service order capabilities using our rugged, portable field devices, reducing your utility’s labor costs while increasing efficiency and cash flow. FieldNet is fully customizable, so it is easily integrated into your environment with minimal impact to back office systems, and it can read multiple AMR technologies, including all Neptune R900®s and Itron electric ERTs. With FieldNet, you get a system that’s tough enough – and smart enough – to excel in any environment. For more information, contact Neptune today. Take Control. neptunetg.com ARB® UTILITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS™ WATER | ELECTRIC | GAS 1600 Alabama Highway 229, Tallassee, AL 36078 • 334.283.6555 • 1.800.633.8754 Come visit us at Booth #502 Autovation 2007 - The AMRA International Symposium September 30 - October 3 Reno, Nevada www.energycentral.com E n E rgyB i z 91 http://neptunetg.com http://neptunetg.com http://www.energycentral.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.