News

23 June 2009

 

Emcore wins 2-year, $5.7m AFRL space PV contract

Emcore Corp of Albuquerque, NM, USA, which manufactures components and subsystems for the broadband, fiber-optic, and solar power markets, has been awarded a two-year, $5.7m cost-plus fixed-fee contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory at the Kirtland Air Force Base to develop and demonstrate high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells for space applications, as well as to investigate advanced photovoltaic devices based on inverted metamorphic (IMM) structures.

The contract also includes a provision for an additional 12-month, $3.4m award for advanced IMM development once the base contract has been completed. Funding for the entire contract has been appropriated.

“We are pleased to be partnering up with Air Force Research Laboratory to further develop Emcore's proprietary inverted metamorphic photovoltaic technology,” says chief operating officer Christopher Larocca. “We believe this contract will allow Emcore to demonstrate industry-leading cell efficiency of 37%. This level of efficiency, combined with the lightweight and flexible properties of our cell, will enable significantly broader space and terrestrial photovoltaic applications,” he adds.

See related items:

Emcore awarded $5m PV contract for NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement spacecraft

Emcore secures long-term contract to supply Space Systems Loral with III-Vs-based multi-junction solar cells

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Visit: www.emcore.com