The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and investors around the world recognize Toledo as a hotspot for research, development, and commercialization of advanced solar technologies. The Regional Growth Partnership in Toledo estimates that more than 5,000 jobs in solar energy have been created in the Toledo area over the last five years. Stemming from its history of glass making, Toledo has leveraged academic successes at the University of Toledo, industry leadership successes at First Solar, entrepreneurial successes at Xunlight, and significant support from the Ohio Third Frontier to become the home of a dynamic cluster of people, companies and products focused on solar photovoltaics - technology that directly converts sunlight into electricity.
Ohio's Third Frontier has invested more than $33 million into the photovoltaic cluster in Northwest Ohio. Through investments in the Photovoltaics Innovation Center - a Wright Center of Innovation, in one Ohio Research Scholar, and in direct grants to small companies, the Ohio Third Frontier has stimulated the growth of an industrial cluster that symbolizes how historic Ohio strengths can be converted into new, innovative, and successful opportunities for economic growth.
Ohio's photovoltaics expertise has surprised some in the public and investment communities, but its origins trace back to companies such as Owens-Corning, Owens - Illinois, Libbey Glass, Pilkington, Glasstech, Tempglass, and Therma-Tru and to Ohio's overall expertise in advanced materials, chemistry, and material coating. As the glass industry began to decline in the 1980s, two relatively small investments by the State of Ohio's Thomas Edison Program to the University of Toledo and two industrial partners, Solar Cells, Inc. and Glasstech, Inc., were made for the purposes of investigating the potential of photovoltaic manufacturing. These investments led to strong partnerships between the University and industry in their region. Today, Solar Cells, Inc. has become First Solar and is now the world's largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic panels.
Technology never stands still. The University of Toledo and local companies, with the help of the Ohio Third Frontier, are continuously making investments in areas which will advance the photovoltaic industry. Improvements in the efficiency of sunlight conversion to electricity, creation of photovoltaic cells on flexible materials, and more efficient manufacturing methods are all being researched. World experts in these fields have come to the University and Northwest Ohio. With them have come new ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities. An example of the potential for new companies, employment and new wealth creation is Xunlight, a company started by a University of Toledo faculty member. Xunlight is perfecting how to produce thin film photovoltaic panels on flexible substrates and then manufacture these new panels in a continuous process. The company has received more than $40 million in private investment capital from some of the most knowledgeable investors in the world. In addition to Xunlight, other photovoltaic companies are receiving entreprenuerial assistance from the Ohio Third Frontierand Edison-funded organizations in the region.
Dr. Xunming Deng, Founder of
Xunlight Corporation - Toledo, Ohio Advances in technology must be delivered to the marketplace for Ohio to fully realize the potential for job growth. The Ohio Third Frontier has made investments in companies that are working to develop new and more cost-effective ways to install the solar photovoltaic panels. The Garland Company and Xunlight 26 have both been funded to develop actual technology to install the new photovoltaic panels on commercial, residential, and industrial buildings.
The investments in photovoltaics by the Ohio Third Frontier also fit strategically into other state policy and programs. House Bill 221 calls for an alternative energy portfolio standard for electricity production in Ohio. Photovoltaics are one manner of achieving the requirements. House Bill 554 established an Advanced Energy Job Stimulus program, and photovoltaics is a technology that can offer short-term job creation potential in Ohio. Finally, as part of the federal stimulus package, advanced energy and photovoltaics play a prominent role in the future of our nation.
The Ohio Third Frontier, in coordination with other important state and federal programmatic directives, is helping to ensure that Ohio's economy is able to capitalize on the emergence of new dynamic industrial clusters, such as the solar photovoltaics cluster in Northwest Ohio. Through the development of these industrial clusters, Ohio will be able to leverage its historical strengths into new opportunities for product development which in turn leads to company, job, and wealth creation.
Ohio Third Frontier:
Building Partnerships - Solar & Photovoltaic
Over the past five years the photovoltaic (PV) group at the University of Toledo has been among the top three in the nation, along with the University of Delaware and Georgia Tech. Within the last two years significant progress has occurred that places the University of Toledo and Northwest Ohio in the leadership position for photovoltaic research, development, and commercialization:
•The Photovoltaic Innovation Center, formed with an $18.6 million grant from the Ohio Third Frontier, supports the development of new advanced laboratory space and facilities, providing a framework for industry collaboration within Ohio.
•PVIC is a consortium of academic, for-profit and nonprofit partners including The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, Owens Corning, Decker Homes, NewCyte, Inc., McMaster Energy Systems, Battelle, Innovative Thin Films LLC, Xunlight, MetaMateria Partners, LLC, Green Energy Ohio, Pilkington North America, Advanced Distributed Generation, LLC.
•The attraction of two world-recognized photovoltaic scientists from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to the University of Toledo.
•The expansion of US Air Force funding to the University of Toledo from approximately $1 million to $3 million annually, as well as the award of a $1 million NASA grant to establish a photovoltaic test facility at the University of Toledo.
•The award of two US Department of Energy contracts to the University of Toledo in the University Photovoltaic Product & Process Development Program of the Solar America Initiative, among only 11 awards nationwide, for a total of $2.5 million over three years.
•The award of an $8 million Ohio Research Scholars Program grant and a McMaster family donation of $2 million to support the attraction of four new photovoltaic faculty members including two new endowed chairs.
•The development of educational programs from installation training, Bachelors of Science & Engineering, and doctorate programs in photovoltaics at Owens Community College, the University of Toledo, and The Ohio State University respectively.
•The receipt by Xunlight of $40 million in venture capital funding from Emerald Technology Ventures, Trident Capital, and Rabo Ventures over three separate rounds of funding.
•The award from the Ohio Third Frontier of $1 million to the Garland Company, with the University of Toledo as a collaborator, and $996,000 to Xunlight 26, in support of the development of rooftop solar systems.
•The award from the Ohio Third Frontier of $4.97 million to Xunlight in support of new photovoltaic fabrication and manufacturing technologies.
Ohio's Third Frontier has invested more than $33 million into the photovoltaic cluster in Northwest Ohio. Through investments in the Photovoltaics Innovation Center - a Wright Center of Innovation, in one Ohio Research Scholar, and in direct grants to small companies, the Ohio Third Frontier has stimulated the growth of an industrial cluster that symbolizes how historic Ohio strengths can be converted into new, innovative, and successful opportunities for economic growth.
Ohio's photovoltaics expertise has surprised some in the public and investment communities, but its origins trace back to companies such as Owens-Corning, Owens - Illinois, Libbey Glass, Pilkington, Glasstech, Tempglass, and Therma-Tru and to Ohio's overall expertise in advanced materials, chemistry, and material coating. As the glass industry began to decline in the 1980s, two relatively small investments by the State of Ohio's Thomas Edison Program to the University of Toledo and two industrial partners, Solar Cells, Inc. and Glasstech, Inc., were made for the purposes of investigating the potential of photovoltaic manufacturing. These investments led to strong partnerships between the University and industry in their region. Today, Solar Cells, Inc. has become First Solar and is now the world's largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic panels.
Technology never stands still. The University of Toledo and local companies, with the help of the Ohio Third Frontier, are continuously making investments in areas which will advance the photovoltaic industry. Improvements in the efficiency of sunlight conversion to electricity, creation of photovoltaic cells on flexible materials, and more efficient manufacturing methods are all being researched. World experts in these fields have come to the University and Northwest Ohio. With them have come new ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities. An example of the potential for new companies, employment and new wealth creation is Xunlight, a company started by a University of Toledo faculty member. Xunlight is perfecting how to produce thin film photovoltaic panels on flexible substrates and then manufacture these new panels in a continuous process. The company has received more than $40 million in private investment capital from some of the most knowledgeable investors in the world. In addition to Xunlight, other photovoltaic companies are receiving entreprenuerial assistance from the Ohio Third Frontierand Edison-funded organizations in the region.
Dr. Xunming Deng, Founder of
Xunlight Corporation - Toledo, Ohio Advances in technology must be delivered to the marketplace for Ohio to fully realize the potential for job growth. The Ohio Third Frontier has made investments in companies that are working to develop new and more cost-effective ways to install the solar photovoltaic panels. The Garland Company and Xunlight 26 have both been funded to develop actual technology to install the new photovoltaic panels on commercial, residential, and industrial buildings.
The investments in photovoltaics by the Ohio Third Frontier also fit strategically into other state policy and programs. House Bill 221 calls for an alternative energy portfolio standard for electricity production in Ohio. Photovoltaics are one manner of achieving the requirements. House Bill 554 established an Advanced Energy Job Stimulus program, and photovoltaics is a technology that can offer short-term job creation potential in Ohio. Finally, as part of the federal stimulus package, advanced energy and photovoltaics play a prominent role in the future of our nation.
The Ohio Third Frontier, in coordination with other important state and federal programmatic directives, is helping to ensure that Ohio's economy is able to capitalize on the emergence of new dynamic industrial clusters, such as the solar photovoltaics cluster in Northwest Ohio. Through the development of these industrial clusters, Ohio will be able to leverage its historical strengths into new opportunities for product development which in turn leads to company, job, and wealth creation.
Ohio Third Frontier:
Building Partnerships - Solar & Photovoltaic
Over the past five years the photovoltaic (PV) group at the University of Toledo has been among the top three in the nation, along with the University of Delaware and Georgia Tech. Within the last two years significant progress has occurred that places the University of Toledo and Northwest Ohio in the leadership position for photovoltaic research, development, and commercialization:
•The Photovoltaic Innovation Center, formed with an $18.6 million grant from the Ohio Third Frontier, supports the development of new advanced laboratory space and facilities, providing a framework for industry collaboration within Ohio.
•PVIC is a consortium of academic, for-profit and nonprofit partners including The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, Owens Corning, Decker Homes, NewCyte, Inc., McMaster Energy Systems, Battelle, Innovative Thin Films LLC, Xunlight, MetaMateria Partners, LLC, Green Energy Ohio, Pilkington North America, Advanced Distributed Generation, LLC.
•The attraction of two world-recognized photovoltaic scientists from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to the University of Toledo.
•The expansion of US Air Force funding to the University of Toledo from approximately $1 million to $3 million annually, as well as the award of a $1 million NASA grant to establish a photovoltaic test facility at the University of Toledo.
•The award of two US Department of Energy contracts to the University of Toledo in the University Photovoltaic Product & Process Development Program of the Solar America Initiative, among only 11 awards nationwide, for a total of $2.5 million over three years.
•The award of an $8 million Ohio Research Scholars Program grant and a McMaster family donation of $2 million to support the attraction of four new photovoltaic faculty members including two new endowed chairs.
•The development of educational programs from installation training, Bachelors of Science & Engineering, and doctorate programs in photovoltaics at Owens Community College, the University of Toledo, and The Ohio State University respectively.
•The receipt by Xunlight of $40 million in venture capital funding from Emerald Technology Ventures, Trident Capital, and Rabo Ventures over three separate rounds of funding.
•The award from the Ohio Third Frontier of $1 million to the Garland Company, with the University of Toledo as a collaborator, and $996,000 to Xunlight 26, in support of the development of rooftop solar systems.
•The award from the Ohio Third Frontier of $4.97 million to Xunlight in support of new photovoltaic fabrication and manufacturing technologies.
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