konarka technologies , inc. was a solar energy company based in lowell , massachusetts , founded in 2001 as a spin-off from university of massachusetts lowell .

in late may 2012 , the company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and laid off its approximately 80-member staff .

the company ’s operations have ceased and a trustee is tasked with liquidating the company ’s assets for the benefit of creditors .

the company was developing two types of organic solar cells : polymer-fullerene solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells ( dsscs ) .

konarka cells were lightweight , flexible photovoltaics that could be printed as film or coated onto surfaces .

the company had hoped its manufacturing process , which utilized organic chemistry , would result in higher efficiency at lower cost than traditional crystalline silicon fabricated solar cells .

konarka was also researching infrared light activated photovoltaics which would enable night-time power generation .

the company 's co-founders included the nobel laureate alan j. heeger .

the company was named after konark sun temple in india .

konarka technologies

konarka technologies <EOT> konarka technologies , inc . inventions , patents and patent applications - justia patents search

konarka technologies develops nano - enabled polymer photovoltaic materials for commercial , industrial and consumer applications .

konarka technologies , inc . - konarka develops and commercializes photovoltaic products that convert sunlight and indoor light into electricity . [ how related to nano ? ] ( nanovip . com )

konarka technologies inc . has received $ 20 million in venture capital financing from lead investor 3i , the company said on tuesday .

solar firm konarka to liquidate konarka technologies inc . filed for chapter 7 . the lowell , mass . , company , with debts exceeding $ 10 million , laid off its roughly 80 remaining workers .

konarka technologies disclosed friday that it had filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and would fire its 80 - member staff and liquidate its assets .

may have other listings under different names / spellings . we ' re not affiliated with konarka technologies inc , we ' re just tracking patents .

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belectric , a germany - based solar developer , financier , and construction firm with more than one gigawatt deployed has acquired the assets of bankrupt organic solar cell firm konarka ' s german operations , konarka technologies gmbh .

in a move designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of konarka ' s polymer - based organic photovoltaic ( opv ) technologies , the company . . .

perovskite and other emerging photovoltaic technologies grab headlines . but will they ever come to market ?

identify the technologies , policies , strategies and vendors that are shaping the global solar industry .

dye - sensitized solar cells : dye - sensitized solar cell , titanium dioxide , konarka technologies , aisin seiki co . , michael grätzel ( 2010 , paperback )

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uncover energy storage technologies and business models that are changing the dynamic of today ' s power system .

after raising at least $ 185 million in private capital for its solar power technology , konarka technologies inc . is selling off its assets as part of a chapter 7 bankruptcy protection filing .

a $ 1 . 6 million contract with konarka technologies inc . aims to lighten the load for troops who must lug around batteries to power everything from night vision goggles to gps units .

konarka announces first - ever demonstration of inkjet printed solar cells - konarka technologies , inc . , an innovator in development and commercialization of power plastic® , a material that converts light to energy , announced the company successfully conducted the first - ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by highly efficient inkjet printing . ( konarka , mar . 4 , 2008 )

daniel mcgahn , konarka ' s chief marketing officer , said a partnership with the u . s . military is the only deal konarka has disclosed to date .

venture capitalist excitement for these new technologies reflects growth in the solar energy market as whole , say industry experts .

konarka technologies is now pushing ahead with the commercialization of its opv power plastic material , initially for lower power consumer electronic applications during 2010 using several partners – including cymbet corporation , noon bags and skyshades .

reflecting on these emerging photovoltaic technologies , “i’m more optimistic now than ever , ” says the university of notre dame’s prashant v . kamat , who has been active in the area since the 1970s . he stresses that even if the emerging technologies don’t become photovoltaic blockbusters that replace silicon cells , “they will likely lead to offshoot technologies and niche applications . ”

founded in 2001 , konarka has raised $ 60 million in previous rounds . in 2004 , konarka acquired siemens ag’s organic photovoltaic research activities , as well as its renowned scientific team .

konarka technologies , the heavily financed company at the forefront of organic photovoltaics ( opv ) development that was co - founded by a nobel laureate , has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in its home state of massachusetts .

the grid edge comprises technologies , solutions and business models advancing the transition toward a decentralized , distributed and transactive electric grid .

dfj is a vc firm that focuses on seed , venture and growth stage investments in enterprise , consumer , and disruptive technologies .

in addition to 3i , several existing investors , including chevron technology ventures , gave konarka money .

konarka and solaris nanosciences create joint research program - solaris ' nanoscale metalic structures could boost the solar energy conversion efficiency of konarka ' s portable power plastics . ( pesn june 12 , 2005 )

lowell - - konarka technologies , the umass lowell spinoff company headquartered in the boott mills , has raked in another $ 20 million in venture capital , bringing the company ' s five - year total to about $ 60 million .

“konarka took that investment and built what it claimed was a 1 gw manufacturing line , although the line would certainly never come close to that capacity . with ten times higher cost , and ten times lower efficiency and lifetime compared to alternative solar technologies , the math never added up for konarka’s ‘power plastic’ , ” the analyst added .

the president ' s reelection campaign wasted no time noting romney ' s support for lowell - based konarka technologies , which announced friday it had filed for bankruptcy protection with plans to lay off more than 80 workers and liquidate its assets .

konarka technologies , inc . has filed for patents to protect the following inventions . this listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the united states patent and trademark office ( uspto ) .

both konarka and nanosolar have said they plan to use the money for new research and development facilities .

konarka , nanosolar and nanosys say that nanotechnology could make the price of electricity less expensive per watt .

konarka raised $ 150 million in a decade - long quest for low - cost organic solar cells .

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konarka technologies inc . , an innovator in developing power plastic™ that converts light to energy , announced that it has raised $ 20 million in venture capital financing . the financing was led by 3i , a leading venture capital and private equity firm .

energy secretary samuel bodman announced the development projects in lowell , mass . , the home of konarka technologies , a company developing low - cost , flexible solar material designed to coat a wide range of objects , from army tents to soda bottles .

but analysts i spoke with at the time predicted it would be difficult for konarka to achieve its goals .

konarka technologies becomes first company in the americas to receive epfl license for dye - sensitized solar cells - konarka technologies , inc . ( kti ) , an innovator in the development of flexible , polymer and nanoparticle - based photovoltaic technology , announced that it has been granted licensee rights to dye - sensitized solar cell technology from the swiss federal institute of technology ( epfl ) . as a result , konarka will be able to leverage its own intellectual property in conjunction with the epfl license , to expedite the commercialization of its photovoltaic ( pv ) technology . ( ' ' bnet ' aug . 13 , 2002 )

she could have been describing konarka . with a nobel laureate cofounder and promising business plan , konarka raised more than $ 170 million in private capital investments and $ 20 million in government grants , according to its website .

konarka ' s photovoltaic fibers and plastics could also allow clothing , or structures such as tents , roofs and windows , to generate power . using nanotechnology , konarka has made solar cells that are more flexible and portable .

howard berke , the konarka ceo , said in a statement on the chapter 7 filing : “konarka has been unable to obtain additional financing , and given its current financial condition , it is unable to continue operations . this is a tragedy for konarka’s shareholders and employees , and for the development of alternative energy in the us . ”

‘it was hard for konarka to find that unique place where its product would win out over the alternatives . ’

belectric advised that the deal to acquire konarka technologies has been completed , with an agreement reached between the two companies . konarka technologies applied for insolvency earlier this year and began negotiations with several investors . alexander kubusch , preliminary insolvency administrator from curator , commented , “…our talks have now reached a successful conclusion . of the many interested parties , we ultimately opted for belectric holding , because this company not only offered an ideal solution to the issue of business operations but also went a long way toward upholding the interests of creditors . ”

partnership pursues full spectrum polymer solar - konarka , specializing in their polymer - based thin film solar approach , has agreed to work collaboratively with evident technologies , a company that specializes in " quantum dot " development and applications . the research aims to increase the sensitivity of konarka ' s plastic cells to a wider range of the light spectrum . ( renewable energy access march 29 , 2005 )

konarka builds products that convert light to energy . konarka is the leading developer of power plastic , polymer photovoltaic products that provide a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial , industrial , government and consumer applications .

konarka ceo howard berke said in a statement that the latest round of funding will " provide long - term financial support for ongoing process and product development " and allow konarka to forge new partnerships to integrate its technology into commercially available products .

konarka has a dozen patents pending and exclusive worldwide rights to nanomaterials " cold sintering " technology from the university of massachusetts .

konarka announces first - ever demonstration of inkjet printed solar cells - “demonstrating the use of inkjet printing technology as a fabrication tool for highly efficient solar cells and sensors with small area requirements is a major milestone , ? commented rick hess , president and ceo at konarka . “this essential breakthrough in the field of printed solar cells positions konarka as an emerging leader in printed photovoltaics . ?

stevens put the first $ 50 , 000 into creating a company that would commercialize the umass research , and helped recruit a nobel prize winner in chemistry to advise the new venture , konarka technologies . ( the company was named after a temple in india built to honor the sun god surya . )

rights to the technology are held by konarka , though the solar company says it has no plans itself to commercial the battery .

one of the main reasons for solar energy’s strong growth is the falling prices of silicon photovoltaics . but the emerging photovoltaic technologies promise to be even less expensive , proponents say .

konarka ' s chief scientist awarded 2006 eni italgas science and environment prize for plastic solar cells - ( jan . 8 , 2007 )

konarka technologies , inc . , developer of power plastic® , a material that converts light to energy , announced that the company has opened what it describes as the largest roll - to - roll flexible thin film solar manufacturing facility in the world , preparing for the commercialization and mass production of its patent - protected thin film solar material , power plastic . located in new bedford , massachusetts , the 250 , 000 square foot building was previously the location for polaroid corp . ’s printing technologies .

it has been estimated that 3rd generation solar technologies will achieve higher efficiencies and lower costs than 1st or 2nd generation technologies ( green , m . , third generation photovoltaics , advanced solar energy conversion ) . today , the 3rd generation approaches being investigated include dye - sensitized titania solar cells , organic photovoltaics , tandem cells , and materials that generate multiple electron - hole pairs . to maximize performance , konarka scientists have been involved in research efforts in all of these areas , including novel combinations of these approaches .

a konarka technician at the company’s new large - scale production plant inspects a roll of material to be used to make organic solar cells .

other uses of nanotechnology foreseen by konarka , nanosolar and nanosys include form - fitting plastic batteries for electronic devices like cell phones and laptops .

konarka has over 200 global patents and patents pending and exclusive worldwide rights to nanomaterials " cold sintering " technology from the university of massachusetts .

↵ * “systems and technologies for the future exploration and development of space , ” 9 to 11 june , sponsored by the international science and technology centre and the international academy of astronautics .

konarka has a broad portfolio of patents , technology licenses and an accomplished technical team , including two nobel laureates and the world leaders in semiconducting polymers . in 2004 , konarka built its initial manufacturing line , expanded its global presence , cultivated its customer base and enhanced the value of its intellectual property . konarka has business operations , r & d and manufacturing located in the united states , germany , austria , and switzerland .

perovskite solar cells have attracted more attention in the past few years than all other types of emerging photovoltaic technologies because they are proceeding on an unprecedented trajectory . unlike the other emerging technologies , which debuted at very low efficiencies and crept up slowly over several years to the 10 % range , perovskite solar - cell efficiencies soared in just a couple of years to more than 22 % .

unlike other photovoltaic technologies that incorporate glass , konarka ' s technology is polymer - based , making it lightweight and portable . the company ' s pv module technology converts both sunlight and indoor light into direct current ( dc ) electrical energy and can be incorporated into a wide range of applications , creating an economical , versatile power source .

the obama campaign was quick to seize on the news of konarka’s bankruptcy , arguing that it represents “a new example of mitt romney’s hypocrisy . ”

but the failure of konarka would appear to leave romney vulnerable to criticism that he , too , supported government “picking winners and losers” in private industry .

while the army tested konarka materials for use atop tents , and the company pitched a transparent version of power plastic for use on buildings’ windows , only two products ever saw the light of day . one was a $ 180 messenger bag , made by a german retailer , that used konarka material on the front flap to recharge digital cameras and mobile phones inside . and an australian company called sky shades put konarka’s material on top of a $ 10 , 000 patio umbrella , the solarbrella , which could supply juice to laptops and other portable electronics . konarka’s factory in new bedford was largely idle .

konarka aims to build products that convert light to energy and is a developer of polymer photovoltaic products that provide a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial , industrial , government and consumer applications . according to konarka , their photovoltaic products are manufactured at low cost and low energy consumption . the company ' s konarka power plastic technology aims to be lightweight , flexible , scalable and adaptable for use in a variety of commercial , indu

konarka , nanosys and nanosolar say their solar technology will reduce the time it will take consumers to recover production and installation costs to a matter of months .

“it’s the first time that a device combining energy creation and storage shows [ such ] tremendous properties , ” says gilles dennler , a coauthor of the paper and a researcher at solar startup konarka technologies , based in lowell , ma . prior to joining konarka , dennler was a professor at the linz institute for organic solar cells at johannes kepler university , in austria . “the potential for this type of product is large , given [ that ] there is a growing demand for portable self - rechargeable power supplies . ”

konarka and textronics partner to develop power - generating wearable electronics - konarka , with their power plastic that converts light to energy , and textronics , with their electronic textiles capability , have joined to create prototype garments and fashion accessories with portable , wearable power - generation capabilities . ( pesn sept . 29 , 2005 )

konarka was among the startups that in 2003 were allotted some $ 24 million in loans from the massachusetts renewable energy trust fund , according to the boston globe .

the last outside money that konarka raised came in 2010 , when konica minolta holdings of japan invested $ 20 million . when i visited konarka later that year , the company said the efficiency of its solar cells was still at 3 to 4 percent , while traditional silicon cells were able to hit 15 to 20 percent .

in conjunction with the funding , maschek and michael ware , managing director at advance capital markets representing good energies , have joined konarka ' s board of directors .

this listing is an abstract for educational and research purposes is only meant as a recent sample of applications filed , not a comprehensive history . urltoken is not affiliated or associated with konarka technologies inc in any way and there may be associated servicemarks . this data is also published to the public by the uspto and available for free on their website . note that there may be alternative spellings for

and while 38 studios was led by a novice entrepreneur , retired red sox star curt schilling , konarka’s chief executive , howard berke , was a serial entrepreneur who’d previously been involved with videoconferencing and medical imaging companies . 38 studios was banking on a hollywood - style blockbuster . konarka was applying brainpower to bring a scientific breakthrough to market .

despite the lack of commercial product availability , konarka , nanosolar and nanosys have collectively raised more than $ 120 million since 2001 , the year all three companies were founded .

another issue was how long konarka’s power plastic would last , since plastic tends to degrade in sunlight . “if there was a case study written about konarka , ” says roach , “it might say that this left the academic lab too early . a lot of the venture capital money was spent doing research , and not developing the product . ”

founded in 2001 , konarka had sought to commercialize " building - integrated photovoltaics " — in which solar power - generating material is included as part of walls or rooftops .

“while in the middle of yet another funding round , konarka finally ran out of money , showing that $ 200 million just doesn’t get one as far as it used to . now creditors are left to sell off the pieces to recoup a fraction of their sunken investment as konarka blames the collapse on an inability to raise more funding . ”

the army hasn ' t said where and when it will test the technology , and konarka wouldn ' t disclose how many units $ 1 . 6 million will buy .

as with other emerging photovoltaic technologies , organic photovoltaic modules are thin , lightweight , and flexible , making them well suited to being placed on the outsides of buildings and on irregularly shaped products , such as fabrics for backpacks and tents .

these applications have smaller power requirements than buildings , and military research contracts at konarka , nanosys and nanosolar may pave the way for commercial availability of solar batteries for communications devices .

during this year’s presidential contest , mitt romney will no doubt be asked about the $ 1 . 5 million grant the state gave konarka in 2003 , when he was governor .

concurrent with the funding , marko maschek , partner with 3i , and michael ware , managing director at advanced capital markets representing good energies , have joined konarka’s board of directors .

konarka technologies , inc . develops and advances nano - enabled polymer photovoltaic materials for commercial , industrial , government , and consumer applications . it provides standard products to serve portable power needs ; and custom solutions , such as roll up chargers , personal accessories , and fold up chargers . the company ' s products are used in outdoor , portable power , indoor and remote sensing , and mission critical applications . it has strategic partnerships with air products , 24 innovations , kurz , skyshades , chevron , merck , toppan forms , dupont , siemens , and the u . s . air force . konarka technologies , inc . was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in lowell , massachusetts with business development offices in asia . it has a research and development facility in austria . the company has operations in the united states , europe , and asia .

konarka joins a growing list of u . s . cleantech firms to go under after raising large amounts of capital — among them the massachusetts firms evergreen solar and advanced electron beams .

“konarka won’t be the last to run out of investors required to be as long on patience as they are blessed with money , ” melnick warned . “buyers and investors beware . ”

konarka technologies will now operate as belectric opv and have its whole team , led by former director of european operations and current ceo ralph pätzold at the company’s nürnberg site . the company will continue research , development and production , as well as international distribution of its printed pv cells . over the coming year , belectric opv will look to increase the service life of the organic solar cells , performing different tests over the first phase .

under the bush administration , konarka received a $ 1 . 6 million army contract in 2005 and a $ 3 . 6 million award from the department of energy in 2007 . under the obama administration , konarka was one of 183 clean - energy companies that got a total of $ 2 . 3 billion in tax credits as part of the 2009 stimulus . — callum borchers

powerplastic can absorb low light level efficiently . the main component of konarka’s photovoltaic cells is nanoscale titanium dioxide particles coating , a light - sensitive dye that generates electricity when light shines on .

unlike conventional solar cells , which are packaged in modules made of glass and aluminum and are rigid and heavy , konarka’s solar cells are lightweight and flexible . this makes them attractive for portable applications . what’s more , they can be designed in a range of colors , which can make them easier to incorporate attractively into certain applications . one of the first products to use konarka’s cells will be briefcases that can recharge laptops . another company is testing konarka’s solar cells for use in umbrellas for outdoor tables at restaurants . they could also be used in tents and awnings .

based on its contributions to the energy market and the nanotechnology field , konarka has been named a red herring top 100 company and was most recently awarded the popular mechanics breakthrough award for 2005 .

konarka is considered a worldwide leader in a new generation of photovoltaics and has an intellectual property portfolio with more than 200 global patents and patent applications covering chemistry , architecture , processes and devices utilizing the material . with a world - class technical team including two nobel laureates , a broad investor group and partnerships with global leaders in this space , konarka is a leading clean technology company .

emerging photovoltaic technologies based on dye - sensitized solar cells , organic compounds , perovskite materials , and quantum dots garner intense coverage in the science press . these types of solar cells sit in the spotlight because they promise to be less expensive and well suited to many more applications than conventional silicon solar cells , which currently claim about 90 % of the solar - cell market . read on to find out which of these emerging technologies are well on their way to market and what technical challenges are holding up the others .

konarka builds power plastic that converts light to energy – anywhere . the company develops and manufactures light - activated power plastic that is inexpensive , lightweight , flexible and versatile . this material makes it possible for devices , systems and structures to have their own low cost embedded sources of renewable power . by integrating energy generation functionality into everyday devices , konarka allows manufacturers to offer truly wireless applications .

the company has produced its cells in a relatively small pilot plant with the capacity of creating about one megawatt of solar cells a year . the large gigawatt capacity of the plant was made possible by the fact that konarka does not require specialized equipment to make its solar cells . indeed , the factory and equipment were formerly owned by polaroid and used to make film for medical imaging . with minor modifications , the same equipment can now be used to make solar cells . richard hess , konarka’s president and ceo , says that the company’s ability to use existing equipment allows it to scale up production at one - tenth the cost compared with conventional technologies .

in the pages that follow , c & en aims to answer those questions , giving a handful of examples , rather than an exhaustive list , of the dozens of companies working to commercialize these technologies and the technical challenges they face in bringing products to market .

berke said he believed konarka had achieved a technology that " will allow bipv to begin to finally flourish , " by meeting the various demands of architects , engineering firms , clients and regulatory authorities .

efficiency claims come to nought earlier this year , konarka said that its next - generation cells had demonstrated a conversion efficiency of 9 % , with the result certified by newport corporation’s photovoltaics testing laboratory .

konarka’s powerplastic® takes light in and delivers power out . when integrated into products , this direct current ( dc ) electrical energy can be used immediately , stored for later use , or converted to other forms of energy . because konarka’s solar material utilizes a wider range of the light spectrum than conventional solar cells , all visible light sources — not just sunlight — can be used to generate power . integrating powerplastic® into products can enhance battery life without increasing or otherwise impeding form factor . our material’s flexibility , conformability , performance , light weight , and price enable konarka to expand into several key application areas .

although the efficiencies of most other emerging photovoltaic technologies sit well below silicon , one type of cell may soon give silicon a run for its money . the current perovskite photovoltaic record holder , according to nrel , clocks in at just more than 22 % . but as described below , some technical challenges must be overcome before perovskite cells will be commercialized on a large scale . as for the other emerging photovoltaic technologies , many companies are betting that the devices’ low price will provide customers with more than enough bang for their buck to offset low efficiencies .

" energy is one of the greatest problems facing the world this century . ( konarka ) is uniquely positioned to deliver innovative solar energy , " said marko maschek , a partner at 3i , the venture - capital firm that led the latest round of funding for konarka . " we are delighted to support the company to fulfill its vision of providing low - cost , universally available sources of renewable power . "

while 38 studios employed artists and game designers to craft a digital fantasy realm , konarka built a team of phd’s in chemistry and materials science to develop a solar cell with a wide array of practical uses .

the lowell , mass . - based konarka designs and manufactures photovoltaic nanotechnology used for solar power , including its trademarked power plastic polymer photovoltaic products . the company won the popular mechanics magazine breakthrough award for 2005 .

konarka is considered a worldwide leader in a new generation of photovoltaics and has an intellectual property portfolio with more than 200 global patents and patent applications covering chemistry , architecture , processes and devices utilizing the material .

with this u . s . based manufacturing location , konarka states that it further expands its presence in massachusetts and accelerates its aggressive plans to develop and commercialize its polymer - based organic photovoltaic ( opv ) technologies worldwide . in addition to acquiring the fully automated roll - to - roll manufacturing line , the company has also hired the leading technology and process engineering teams from polaroid , with plans to hire over 100 additional employees as production increases toward capacity over the next two to three years .

because the bankruptcy is taking place under “chapter 7” proceedings , the company’s operations have ceased . the hazardous chemicals that konarka required to produced its opv films were due to be removed from the company’s premises on june 7 , while a trustee has been appointed with the task of liquidating the company’s assets – which include a roll - to - roll opv manufacturing site that konarka claimed to offer annual production capacity of 1 gw .

constructed and further expanded in the 1990’s for polaroid’s advanced technology development and large - scale manufacturing , konarka’s new bedford facility has been retrofitted to immediately begin initial production of power plastic . using multiple in - line processing stations with precision multi - layer manufacturing processes that are adaptable to a variety of printing and coating technologies , the company states that the facility will enable it to further develop and advance nano - enabled polymer photovoltaic materials that are lightweight , flexible and more versatile than traditional solar materials .

many academic research groups have shown this technology holds promise . but relatively few companies are betting that they have the combination of unique materials chemistry and manufacturing know - how needed to provide a competitive edge in this area . one exception is solterra renewable technologies , in san marcos , texas .

" since 2001 , konarka has taken revolutionary lab discoveries from its founding scientists to pilot production for initial customers and now to full - scale manufacturing with the near future capacity of one gigawatt per year , which could contribute to the power and electricity needs of our nation and the avoidance of co2 emissions , " commented rick hess , president and ceo at konarka . " as one of the original recipients of the solar american initiative ( sai ) awards in 2007 , konarka is furthering the u . s . department of energy’s ( doe ) vision to reach its goal of making solar electricity from photovoltaics cost - competitive with conventional forms of electricity . "

unlike another new england company that is being sold for parts , providence video game start - up 38 studios , konarka was the kind of company that fit perfectly into this region’s research - and - design sweet spot .

konarka’s photovoltaic technology started with the work of the late dr . sukant tripathy , an internationally known polymer materials scientist , provost at umass lowell and founder of the plastic innovation center and dr . alan heeger , konarka’s chief scientist , who was awarded the nobel prize in chemistry in 2000 . the discoveries from both founding scientists led to konarka’s underlying technology leadership , including a manufacturing process at relatively low temperatures , which enables the use of low - cost plastic substrate films . the company has secured over $ 100 million from leading venture capital and private equity funds , as well as $ 18 million in government agency research grants from the u . s . and europe .

several companies sell chemicals and materials for perovskite solar - cell r & d , but it seems that , so far , none has perovskite modules for sale . and very few companies have demonstrated modules publicly . saule technologies claims to have a working prototype perovskite module that can power small electronic devices .

romney’s camp responded by accusing the obama campaign of trying to divert voters’ attention away from the still - struggling economy . the romney camp also noted that konarka ceo howard berke has not made contributions to any of romney’s campaigns .

nanosys and nanosolar in palo alto - - along with konarka in lowell , mass . - - say their research will result in thin rolls of highly efficient light - collecting plastics spread across rooftops or built into building materials .

over the next 11 years , konarka raised $ 170 million from private investors including chevron corp . ; secured millions in grants , tax credits , and loans from republican and democratic administrations in massachusetts and washington ; bought an old polaroid plant in new bedford to make its “power plastic” ; hired and then laid off 100 employees ; and filed for bankruptcy protection in early june . konarka’s creditors will meet tuesday to discuss the disposition of the company’s assets .

but on may 23 , berke called a company meeting and told employees that konarka hadn’t been able to raise more money , and would cease operations . ( coincidentally , schilling laid off 38 studios’ employees the following day . )

the shutdown has also become part of the presidential campaign battle , with an obama administration spokeswoman noting that konarka received a loan from the state of massachusetts in 2003 , when gop presidential front - runner mitt romney was governor .

konarka aims to build products that convert light to energy and is a developer of polymer photovoltaic products that provide a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial , industrial , government and consumer applications . ac

konarka , with their power plastic that converts light to energy , and textronics , with their electronic textiles capability , have joined to create prototype garments and fashion accessories with portable , wearable power - generation capabilities . ( pesn )

the paris agreement has very little actual hard requirements . it ' s basically a fancy declaration of intent . the agreement basically calls on every nation to set and publish realistic goals on emission etcetera , while asking developed countries to take the lead in developing technologies . it ' s not quite giving money .

all three companies rely upon government contracts in addition to private funding . the defense advanced research projects agency has been the most generous . konarka has a $ 6 million grant , and nanosolar has received $ 10 . 3 million .

the demise of the firm represents a significant failure for its investors , which included the energy companies chevron and total alongside several venture capitalists . together , they have invested close to $ 170 million in konarka over the past decade .

konarka is an advanced research and development company , dedicated to the commercialization of power solutions based on a proprietary , solid - state , flexible , low - cost photovoltaics platform that can convert sunlight and even indoor light into electricity .

in a continuation of their development of advanced nanomaterials characterization technologies , cordouan has developed the vasco kin™ time - resolved instrument . this next - generation equipment is designed to monitor in real time nanoparticles synthesis , agglomeration or the stability of suspensions , using accurate kinetic analyses combined within an in situ and contactless remote optical head .

in january 2003 , shortly after taking office in massachusetts , romney held press conference - at konarka , where he announced a plan to loan $ 24 million from the state’s renewable energy trust fund to startups with the potential to create jobs .

konarka harnesses the sun god in pursuit of a scientist ' s dream - spun out of research tripathy conducted at the university of massachusetts lowell , konarka makes plastics that use solar power to run electrical devices - - for example , a chemical sensor that uses its plastic casing to harness power from sunlight . tripathy ' s colleagues and former students formed the company at the end of 2000 , shortly after his death . ( ' ' small times , sept . 3 , 2002 )

konarka ceo berke co - founded the company with alan heeger in 2001 , just a year after the latter was awarded a share of the 2000 nobel prize in chemistry for the discovery of conductive polymers , which form the basis of opv technology .

konarka has developed a series of standard products to serve portable power needs , with sizes including 1 / 2w , 4w , 8w , and 30w . each panel will come with integrated connectors to allow easy use for portable , indoor and outdoor applications .

earlier this year the military engaged a solar technology company , sustainable technologies international , to develop a panel that was portable , durable and discreet enough to be used on the front line . the result of the $ 2 million project was a panel weighing just 400 grams and flexible enough to be moulded to a soldier ' s backpack .

in quantum dot solar cells , nanocrystals of semiconducting metal chalcogenides—including cds , cdse , pbs , and pbse—and other materials function as the light - absorbing material in the device . as with other emerging photovoltaic technologies , quantum dot cells can be prepared via low - cost solution - phase chemistry methods and are amenable to high - speed printing techniques .

“driven by the promise of cheap , printed solar modules that can be made colorful and transparent , technically unsavvy investors rushed to invest in [ konarka ] to the tune of $ 170 million , with an additional $ 30 million coming from grant funding . ”

powerplastic solar panel is created using roll to roll manufacturing process . roll to roll process is the process in which transparent electrode , printed active material , primary electrode and substrate are printed onto transparent packaging to make a solar panel . this manufacturing process is inexpensive , environmental friendly , and simple . currently , konarka is invested by us military , the national science foundation , darpa , and the department of energy , the department of commerece , etc . konarka’s solar panel is a great prospect of future alternative energy source .

these devices use compounds with the perovskite crystal structure and stoichiometry to absorb light . ( ch 3 nh 3 ) pbi 3 is the most studied example . scientists remain unsure why positive and negative charges generated by photoexcitation in these types of cells reach their respective electrodes so efficiently . yet the remarkable rate of progress caused photovoltaics researchers in academia and industry who were working on other technologies to switch to perovskites or at least add the topic to their priority list . and several new companies , such as oxford photovoltaics , a start - up launched by university of oxford physicist henry j . snaith , a leading figure in perovskite photovoltaics , and warsaw - based saule technologies have also entered the perovskite photovoltaics race .

konarka urltoken is recognized throughout the world as a leader in opv ( organic photovoltaic ) technology a 3rd generation solar technology that is rapidly emerging to compete with silicon based 1st and 2nd generation solar technologies . the company holds over 350 patents and filings covering every aspect of our proprietary chemistry and processes . our current research efforts are exploring exciting new opv chemistries as well as advances to our existing technology that will produce greater power output at a lower cost . at the heart of konarkas technology is a photo - reactive polymer material invented by konarka co - founder and nobel prize winner , dr . alan heeger . this proprietary material can be printed or coated inexpensively onto flexible substrates using roll - to - roll manufacturing , similar to the way newspaper is printed on large rolls of paper . the resulting power plastic can then be manufactured into a wide range of end - use products .

inkjet printing is a commonly used technique for controlled deposition of solutions of functional materials in specific locations on a substrate and can provide easy and fast deposition of polymer films over a large area . the demonstration confirms that organic solar cells can be processed with printing technologies with little or no loss compared to “clean room ? semiconductor technologies such as spin coating . the most popular printing tool for organic electronics , inkjet printing could become a smart tool to manufacturer solar cells with multiple colors and patterns for lower power requirement products , like indoor or sensor applications . inkjet printing is considered very promising because the polymer devices can be fabricated very easily because of the compatibility with various substrates and it does not require additional patterning .

at first , konarka will focus on niche applications such as umbrellas and tents , while working to increase the efficiency of the solar cells to between 7 and 10 percent , at which point the company could compete in cost with conventional sources of electricity , hess says .

" there ' s opportunities in traditional silicon photovoltaics , and that ' s really interesting , and there are companies like konarka . there ' s room in the market for all these companies . it ' s still early days for these startups , " he said .

“technically unsavvy investors” analysts at lux research have long suggested that the claimed benefits of opv – largely the promise of cheap solar power produced by a lightweight , flexible film – have been overplayed . subsequent to konarka’s bankruptcy filing , lux’s jonathan melnick delivered this withering assessment :

romney’s camp also noted that konarka received $ 5 million in state loans under massachusetts gov . deval patrick ( d ) as well as $ 170 million in private capital , and that later during his tenure as governor romney sought to divert money away from the trust fund .

dennler says that the maturity of the battery and the imminent commercial release of konarka - style organic solar cells mean that the kind of solar - battery device designed in the project could be available as early as next year , although achieving higher performance would be an ongoing pursuit .

the vast majority of those solar panels—about 90 % —are based on silicon . but because silicon photovoltaics are a mature technology , they are rarely the subject of photovoltaics stories that appear so frequently in the science press . instead , the spotlight has been shining for several years on a number of emerging photovoltaic technologies that are stimulating intense r & d effort in academia and industry .

despite romney’s touting of the loans in an event at konarka’s headquarters , campaign aides argued tuesday that the loan decision was made in december 2002 , before romney took office , and that the move was made by the director of a “quasi - public” agency , the massachusetts technology collaborative .

konarka received popular mechanics magazine ' s breakthrough award last year for its work on products that convert light to energy . the company ' s flagship product is power plastic , which could allow products such as laptops and cell phones to be recharged with solar energy without being plugging in .

with respect to lifetime , there is much discussion going on as to whether the technologies need to have the same lifetime as silicon - based pv ( 20 + years ) for economical rooftop use , or whether shorter lifetimes of around five years , especially for very low - cost modules , could be deemed acceptable ( this is , in fact , the direction that konarka and skyshades are taking ) . however , there is some evidence to suggest that for mass production for top grid - connected and building - integrated solar cells , optimal lifetime duration should be at least 20 years , since investors are less likely to support a technology with low efficiency and lifetime .

organic solar cells ( oscs ) , sometimes referred to as third - generation solar after crystalline silicon and thin - film solar technology , can be divided into two categories : polymer - based ( large molecules ) and oligomer - based ( small molecules ) . konarka prints large molecule polymers .

" silicon is very capital - intensive . you don ' t need a clean room for plastic power where capital costs are one - tenth of silicon , " said raj atluru , managing director at the venture capitalist firm of draper fisher jurvetson in menlo park , a major investor in konarka .

- this will be the first curtain wall pilot project to integrate konarka power plastic into a wall structure . the wall solar panels will generating 1 . 5 kilowatts of power to the facility , and are expected to be fully operational by year’s end ( business wire nov . 10 , 2009 )

at this stage , third - generation pv is not at a price point to be able to compete directly with silicon - based cells or the more exotic thin - film technologies , but it will nevertheless play a significant energy role in applications and markets that conventional solar materials will never be able to penetrate . these include low - power consumer electronics , outdoor recreational applications , and bipv applications .

meanwhile , researchers at the natick soldier center are pursuing a variety of nonsensing e - textile efforts . they are working to stitch communications antennas into vests worn by soldiers in hopes of eliminating the 3 - meter wire antennas that can make a soldier carrying a radio an obvious target . in another project , researchers at wronz euralab in the united kingdom have contracted to develop a soft fabric keypad on a jacket sleeve that can replace heavy , bulky communications keyboard controls for field units . and researchers at konarka technologies in lowell , massachusetts , are working with natick to develop flexible solar cells that can be incorporated into tents and other fabrics to help power the burgeoning number of electronic gadgets soldiers now carry .

the company plans to gradually ramp up production at its new factory , reaching full capacity in two to three years . because the solar cells can be made transparent , konarka is also developing a version of its solar cells that could be laminated to windows to generate electricity and serve as a window tinting .

and his successor , deval patrick , will most likely lose $ 3 . 3 million in taxpayer money that his administration lent konarka to set up its new bedford plant . both governors clearly envisioned that a solar material that could be plastered on just about anything would create plenty of jobs in the state .

according to the company’s filing with the us bankruptcy court in massachusetts , konarka has liabilities of between $ 10 million and $ 50 million , and at least 200 creditors , but its assets are listed at less than $ 0 . 5 million , with virtually all of the invested cash now burned through .

the company would not disclose information on the price , terms of the deal , or ip involved . this deal involves a headcount of 16 people according to a company spokesperson . the new belectric opv group will be led by konarka ' s former director of european operations and current ceo dr . ralph pätzold .

in a significant milestone in the deployment of flexible , printed photovoltaics , konarka , a solar - cell startup based in lowell , ma , has opened a commercial - scale factory , with the capacity to produce enough organic solar cells every year to generate one gigawatt of electricity , the equivalent of a large nuclear reactor .

konarka acquires siemens ' organic photovoltaics - new generation of photovoltaics are inexpensive , easy - to - manufacture and versatile . these new plastic power cells will make it possible for any electronic device or structure to carry its own on - board source of renewable energy . ( energy info source , sept . 7 , 2004 )

existing investors , including draper fisher jurvetson , new enterprise associates , good energies , vanguard ventures , partech international and chevron technology ventures , also participated in the round . konarka plans to use this round of funding to accelerate further growth , continue to execute on its global partnering strategy and to support ongoing research and development efforts .

konarka has counted 11 different organizations among its investors , including vcs ( draper fisher jurveston and good energies ) , large corporations ( total and konica minolta ) and the quasi - public massachusetts technology collaborative . along with developing building - integrated pv , the company had been shipping products including a solar bag and solar umbrella since 2009 .

melnick’s final analysis is that konarka was actually far better at raising money than it was at solar module development . the analyst believes that the company never had a credible path towards a viable technology , while lux’s prediction of an opv market worth a meager $ 159 million in 2020 paints a worrying picture for those still chasing this market .

third - generation thin - film solar devices are beginning to emerge in the marketplace after approximately 20 years of research and development , due to the insight of leading material developers such as konarka and plextronics in the organic photovoltaics ( opv ) domain , and dyesol , epfl , g24i , mitsubishi and peccell on the dye - sensitized cells ( dsc ) front . both dsc and opv technologies lag far behind on the efficiency curve when compared to conventional solar ( i . e . , > 20 percent efficiency ) , so they will likely succeed in markets where their low cost , substrate flexibility , and ability to perform in dim or variable lighting conditions provide them with a significant competitive advantage . dsc will target larger area bipv applications while opv will find its application in lower power consumer applications .