1366 Technologies Awarded Four Million in ARPA-E Funding

October 26, 2009

Innovative PV Company One of Only 37 Awardees Selected from Highly-Competitive Pool of 3,600 Applicants

LEXINGTON, Mass., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- 1366 Technologies (www.1366tech.com), a silicon photovoltaics company, today announced that the company will receive four million dollars in federal funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency -- Energy (ARPA-E) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The first ARPA-E solicitation was extremely competitive with over 3,600 applications from across the U.S. and, after an extensive application process, the selection committee named 1366 Technologies as the only photovoltaics (PV) company to receive funding.

Of the large pool of applicants, 37 final recipients were chosen through a rigorous review process with input from multiple review panels composed of leading U.S. energy science and technology experts and ARPA-E's program managers. Evaluations were based on the potential for high impact on ARPA-E's goals and scientific and technical merit. 1366 Technologies was selected for their Direct Wafer technology that forms high-efficiency 'monocrystalline-equivalent' silicon wafers directly from molten silicon, with the potential to slash the cost of PV installations by half.

"For over 35 years, silicon PV has been hobbled by high costs and difficulties in scaling due to expensive wafering. Our Direct Wafer technology solves the wafering problem with a breakthrough manufacturing solution that is compatible with today's supply chain," said Frank van Mierlo, co-founder and president of 1366 Technologies. "This funding will allow us to accelerate the development and scaling of Direct Wafer, which will have strong implications for the competitiveness of the U.S. PV industry and provide a basis for future economic growth and jobs."

1366 Technologies also recently unveiled the groundbreaking Self-Aligned Cell (SAC) architecture, with innovative cell texturing and metallization design to deliver simpler, more commercially-viable solutions for multi-crystalline cell manufacturers striving to achieve 18 percent cell efficiency. Learn more about this technology by clicking here.

For more information about 1366 Technologies, please visit: www.1366tech.com. To learn more about ARPA-E funding, please go to: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/index.html

About 1366 Technologies

1366 Technologies' eliminates the cost and production challenges that have hampered solar power's ability to replace fossil fuels. The company combines breakthrough innovations in silicon cell architecture with lean manufacturing processes to make the world's most cost effective and commercially viable high efficiency solar cells. Developed by a veteran team of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, including MIT professor and photovoltaic industry expert Dr. Emanuel Sachs, the company's novel approach breaks the historic efficiency and cost tradeoff of photovoltaics. 1366 Technologies is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more information, please visit www.1366tech.com.

SOURCE 1366 Technologies