Press Releases


Capturing the sun
 
10/7/2024 - NATCORE FORMS HONG KONG SUBSIDIARY TO OVERSEE SOLAR JOINT VENTURE
Written by Administrator   
Thursday, 07 October 2024 15:24

NEWS RELEASE 10190.5

Contact: Chuck Provini
732-576-8800

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Natcore Forms Hong Kong Subsidiary to

Oversee Solar Joint Venture

Natcore Zhuzhou Hires General Manager, Vets Scientific Staff

Red Bank, NJ — (October 7, 2024) —Natcore Technology Inc. (TSX-V: NXT; NTCXF.PK) has formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Natcore Asia Technology Ltd, to hold its 55% share of Natcore Technology (Zhuzhou) Ltd., a joint venture formed in June with the Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, a government-supported zone in Hunan province, and Chuangke Silicon Ltd., a polycrystalline silicon producer. Based in Hong Kong, Natcore Asia Technology is a wholly owned subsidiary of Natcore Technology, Inc.

Mark Chen has been hired as General Manager of Natcore Technology (Zhuzhou). Mr. Chen has extensive experience in the photovoltaic field, specifically in the area of thin-film growth. He previously worked for Joysing, a major equipment manufacturing company in Zhuzhou City. He is a founder of the Hunan Solar Power Association and has written several articles on photovoltaic topics.

Natcore Technology has also narrowed its search for a CFO for Natcore Technology (Zhuzhou) and for several scientists and lab technicians, and will make further announcements when these candidates have been interviewed by Chief Technical Officer Dennis Flood.

Chuck Provini, president and CEO of Natcore Technology, has been approved as the Legal Representative and Chairman of the Zhuzhou entity, thereby allowing him to represent Natcore worldwide. Brien Lundin, Chairman of Natcore Technology, and board member John Calhoun will also be board members of Natcore Technology (Zhuzhou).

Mr. Chen will be part of a transition team visiting Natcore’s facilities at Ohio State University as well as the Barron Group facilities at Rice University in order to begin the introduction of the Liquid Phase Deposition process to Natcore’s Zhuzhou factory. There will also be a Chinese delegation visiting the same facilities. This delegation, which will represent the Chinese government and Natcore’s joint venture partners will also be guests at the New Orleans Investment Conference from October 27-30, where Natcore Technology will be an exhibitor and presenter.

The Zhuzou manufacturing facility will be completed by Chuangke Silicon within 30 days at no cost to Natcore Technology or to Chuangke Silicon. The 15,000 sq. ft. building will carry a monthly rent of US$3,000. The initial orders for chemicals and equipment have been made and will be in place upon the return to China of Mr. Chan and his transition team.

At the heart of the Natcore Zhuzhou joint venture is Natcore Technology’s patented Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) technology, licensed from Rice University where it was developed. LPD grows an anti-reflective (AR) film on a substrate in a room-temperature chemical bath, potentially making solar cells significantly cheaper and cleaner to produce. Existing technology uses a high-temperature vacuum furnace to grow the coating, requiring much more energy, and much more silicon to achieve the thickness needed to withstand the firing. Natcore’s LPD is particularly conducive to putting the AR coating on silicon solar cells.

Global production of silicon solar cells exceeded 5.5 gigawatts in 2009, or 90% of the total worldwide production of all solar cell types, and is expected to continue growing at annual double-digit rates for the foreseeable future. China is on track to produce more than half the world’s solar panels this year, with 80 percent of the content of each solar panel also to be made in China. This ranks them top in the world for photovoltaic production. More than 95 percent of them will be exported to developed nations like the United States and Germany.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

 

“Charles Provini”

President and Chief Executive Officer

# # # # #

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Last Updated ( Friday, 08 October 2024 19:54 )
 
09/28/2010 - NATCORE UNVEILS FIRST COMMERCIAL APPLICATION
Written by Administrator   
Tuesday, 28 September 2024 00:00

Natcore Unveils First Commercial Application

New Subsidiary, NanoShade Solar, to Market

Solar Energy Collectors in 1Q11

Red Bank, NJ — (September 28, 2024) —Natcore Technology Inc. (TSX-V: NXT; NTCXF.PK) today introduced NanoShades, solar energy collectors that can be mounted on vertical surfaces of new and existing buildings.

Each NanoShade™ comprises a set of angled slats or flat strips fixed at regular intervals in an aluminum frame. The 6”-wide slats are aluminum extrusions to which solar cells are affixed. The slats are positioned at the optimum angle to maximize solar exposure at the building’s latitude. The silicon-based solar cells can be fashioned in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Initially these systems will employ conventional solar cell technology. They will incorporate advanced solar cells made possible by Natcore’s proprietary Liquid Phase Deposition technology when they become available.

NanoShades showcase the company’s ability to integrate solar panels onto a variety of shapes and architectural surfaces. Although they can be sized to fit any configuration, a typical NanoShade unit will be about eight feet high and five feet wide. Current designs call for nine slats within each frame.

A proof-of-concept system has been tested at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where it has been collecting data since April 2010 under the supervision of Prof. Andrew R. Barron and Dr. Dennis Flood, two of Natcore’s founders. Preliminary engineering and design work for a commercial system has been accomplished, and vendors have been sourced. Two patent applications relating to these systems have been filed, and NanoShade is now constructing a prototype system for independent testing and bonding requirements in preparation for initial production.

To examine efficiencies at a more northern latitude, NanoShade will conduct research at the University of New Haven (UNH) in West Haven, CT, during the current academic year. Researchers there will also examine reliability, weather ability and endurance of the units. Ali Montazer, professor and Associate Dean of Engineering at UNH, will oversee the testing.

NanoShade expects that its devices will help builders qualify for LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is intended to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

To produce NanoShades, Natcore has formed NanoShade Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary incorported in Delaware and headquartered in Red Bank, NJ. “We decided to create a new company to market NanoShades because we don’t want to distract from Natcore’s primary business—the development of super-efficient solar cells with twice the output of conventional ones,” says Chuck Provini, Natcore’s president and CEO. Provini will initially hold the same jobs with the new subsidiary, but design, production and marketing functions are being overseen by consultants with experience in architecture and construction.

NanoShade has already been asked to bid on new projects. Says Provini, “To show just how green we are, we’re actually using recycled solar cells for some of our initial units. We’ve been approached by various companies to do this since they want to be at the front of the line when our super-efficient solar cell technology is developed.”

NanoShade Solar expects to start accepting orders and shipping NanoShades in the first quarter of 2011.

# # # # #

About Natcore Technology Inc.

Natcore Technology is the exclusive licensee, from Rice University, of a thin-film growth technology enabling room-temperature growth of various silicon oxides on silicon wafers in a liquid phase deposition (LPD) process. Although the implications of this discovery for semiconductors and fiber optics are significant and wide-ranging, the technology has immediate and compelling applications in the solar sector. Specifically, Natcore’s LPD process could enable silicon solar cell manufacturers to significantly reduce manufacturing costs and increase throughput, and has the potential to allow, for the first time, mass manufacturing of super-efficient (30%+) tandem solar cells with double the power output of today’s most efficient devices. Having been independently tested and verified by one of the world’s most respected science and technology laboratories, Natcore’s technology is now in the process of being commercialized.

# # # # #

Statements in this press release other than purely historical factual information, including statements relating to revenues or profits, or Natcore’s future plans and objectives, or expected sales, cash flows, and capital expenditures constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in Natcore’s business, including risks inherent in the technology history. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except in accordance with applicable securities laws, Natcore expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 January 2024 18:35 )
 
Clean Energy Entrepreneurs Face More Obstacles in U.S.

By KEITH BRADSHER

With erect posture and clear gray eyes, Chuck Provini still looks like the Marine who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1969 and was repeatedly decorated for bravery in Vietnam.

He fumes at strangers who call him a traitor for agreeing to manufacture in Zhuzhou, China, a new solar panel production device that his company developed in the United States.

 
9/15/2010 - NATCORE INCREASES FILM-GROWTH RATE BY ORDER OF MAGNITUDE
Written by Administrator   
Wednesday, 15 September 2024 00:00

Natcore Increases Film-Growth Rate By Order of Magnitude

Rate of LPD growth multiplied 10 times, while new
passivation discovery promises important new applications

 

Red Bank, NJ — (September 15, 2024) — Scientists at Natcore Technology Inc. (TSX-V: NXT; NTCXF.PK) have discovered methods to increase dramatically the rate at which thin films are grown using Natcore’s proprietary liquid phase deposition (LPD) process.

 

Natcore’s research team working at the Ohio State University facilities has discovered how to increase the rate of LPD film growth by up to ten times. Importantly, the small-area films grown with this accelerated process show film quality equivalent to that of the full-area films grown with the slower LPD process. Work continues to scale-up the faster process to uniformly and completely coat multiple wafers simultaneously. This scale-up ability had already been established by the slower process.

The dramatically increased LPD growth rate guarantees that Natcore’s coating technology will integrate smoothly into silicon solar cell fabrication lines the world over. This is an important achievement with far-reaching implications not only for solar cells, but also for optoelectronic devices, semiconductors and other applications.

 

Natcore is proceeding with a patent application for this invention. Further details will be released once this protection is achieved.

Film Passivation Discovery
Adds to Reach of Natcore’s LPD Process

 

Natcore researchers have also discovered a method to passivate the surface of the solar cell on which a silica film has been grown using Natcore’s LPD process.

 

Passivation is the process of filling the dangling atomic bonds at the surface of the solar cell, as well as reducing the numbers of defects that always exist in the upper region of the cell body. It is critical to enabling production of long-term, high-performance silicon solar cells.

 

In Natcore’s refined LPD process, this necessary passivation is achieved using the same production steps normally applied to the solar cell to create its top and bottom metal contacts — no additional heating cycles are required. The synergistic nature of Natcore’s technology with existing cell fabrication steps will greatly simplify the standard silicon solar cell manufacturing process.

 

Very importantly, recent developments in silicon solar cell manufacturing R&D; have shown that significant gains in cell performance can be achieved with ever-thinner silicon wafers by passivating the rear surface of the cell with a layer of silica underneath the full-coverage aluminum back contact. This step has not yet been included in actual manufacturing because it presently requires the deposition of the silica film by thermal vacuum processes that are too cumbersome and costly to implement.

 

In contrast, Natcore’s newly discovered passivation process using its LPD technology could enable manufacturers to incorporate this vital step in their manufacturing lines in a simple and cost-effective manner, and represents an important new commercial application for Natcore’s technology.

 

Natcore is also applying for patent protection for this discovery. More details will be forthcoming after filing.

 

China Joint Venture Progressing Well

Natcore’s joint venture with the Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone and Chuangke Silicon Ltd. is progressing quickly, as expected. Necessary corporate structures and banking relationships have been created, hiring of staff has begun, and funding and build-out of facilities are now ready to proceed.

 

“We’ve been deeply impressed with the capabilities and enthusiasm of our new partners,” reports Chuck Provini, Natcore’s president and CEO. “In fact, even as we begin transferring our anti-reflective coating application to China, we have already begun exploring additional applications to incorporate into our joint venture. We are going to hit the ground running, and fully expect great achievements from this partnership.”

 

“At the same time,” notes Provini, “we remain dedicated to the development of similar joint ventures in the United States and Canada for different applications of our technology. We are presently in discussions and negotiations with industry and venture capital groups toward that end. While there is no guarantee that such talks will ultimately result in agreements, we are very optimistic and excited about the possibilities.”

 

# # # # #

Statements in this press release other than purely historical factual information, including statements relating to revenues or profits, or the Company’s future plans and objectives, or expected sales, cash flows, and capital expenditures constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company’s business, including risks inherent in the technology history. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except in accordance with applicable securities laws, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next > End >>

Page 3 of 7