Solar research center set to open

Oregon State facility supports solar manufacturers.

The Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Manufacturing at Oregon State University (OSU) is scheduled to be fully operational this May, officials say.

With almost $2.7 million in new funding and the recent acquisition of new equipment, the facility could help heighten the state's position as a leader in solar cell innovation and manufacturing.

The center would support more than 20 faculty and researchers from OSU, the University of Oregon, Portland State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as well as private industry collaborators. The facility would also enable unique hands-on student educational opportunities.

The center is designed to provide a shared laboratory and equipment, and serve as a resource to develop new solar cell concepts, as well as improving existing technologies. Collaborations with Oregon companies such as SolarWorld, Voxtel and CH2M Hill, as well as leading universities in Germany, Taiwan and South Korea, are planned, according to Chih-hung Chang, director of the center.

Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) provided an initial investment of $232,000 and helped to obtain additional funding.

The facilities are being set up at the Microproducts Breakthrough Institute, a research facility of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI). Additional support comes from OSU, ONAMI, and a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to OSU, CH2M HILL, Voxtel and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.