Thad Druffel of the Conn Center
A University of Louisville research-backed startup has secured $2 million in funding to further development of a technology meant to make solar power more accessible.
The startup, Bert Thin Films, plans to use the new funding — via a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and $1 million in angel investment — to further their copper-based paste technology, called CuBert, invented and patented at UofL. The paste can replace silver components currently used in solar panels, making them less expensive to manufacture.
“Silver is a huge issue for the industry because the price volatility and there may not be enough to produce the amount of solar panels needed,” said Thad Druffel, theme leader for solar manufacturing R&D at UofL’s Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research. “We can solve it by changing one…
UofL solar energy startup secures $2 million in funding
