Natcore Technology has selected Rochester, New York to set up the Natcore Research and Development Center. The center will be situated in the Kodak Research Laboratories building at Eastman Business Park.
Currently, Natcore carries out its research activities at Rice University, Ohio State University and at a Chinese joint venture. These research works will be combined in the new Rochester center. However, the company’s joint program with Barron Group will be continued at Rice University. The Rochester facility will allow the company to speed up the thin-film and tandem solar cell development process using its liquid phase deposition technology. The high-performance tandem cells can increase the energy output of current generation of commercial solar cells and the thin-film cells can reduce half the cost of solar energy production.
The company has entered into a leasing agreement for office and lab facilities, which include a clean room, two equipped labs and administration offices. Funds for the Natcore Research and Development Center were secured from proceeds of a private placement in December 2010. The company may also seek financial support from its joint venture partners.
Natcore has chosen the Rochester site for a number of reasons. The location offers the necessary infrastructure for the new center and the company can benefit from Kodak’s expertise in thin-film technology. Moreover, the company can utilize the expertise of notable universities in Rochester. Congresswoman, Louise Slaughter, and Eastman Business Park’s Director, Mike Alt, had provided invaluable support in the Natcore’s project.