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ITC Poised for Role in Pursuit of Alternative Energy

Canandaigua, NY, October 2006

Alternative energy has become a hot topic across the United States, and nowhere is it being pursued more aggressively than in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region of New York.

Many companies and universities in the region already are involved in research and development in four key alternative energy sectors: fuel cell, bio fuels, solar energy, and wind energy.

The Infotonics Center of Technology (ITC) is in the midst of it, ready and able to provide Microsystems technology to play a key part, particularly in the area of solar energy and, possibly, fuel cells.

Earlier this year, the Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) brought together elected officials, business leaders, and academicians at a conference on alternative energy. It was co-sponsored by New Jobs New York and Renew-NY.

At the conference, GRE chief executive officer Dennis Mullen said the Rochester/Finger Lakes region "is uniquely positioned to be a leading alternative energy center. Our assets are perfectly aligned. We have materials and precision manufacturing expertise, a skilled workforce adept at managing complex electro-mechanical and chemical products, and university research and development already under way to find smarter energy solutions."

Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York met with conference attendees and noted that, "this is an important chance for investors to see firsthand the amazing alternative opportunities that exist in this region. By coming together in this forum, we can understand the potential impact of these technologies and develop a strategy for how we can use them to grow our economy and create jobs."

GRE's report on the region's assets in the search for alternative energy specifically noted that the area "has the expertise in ‘clean room type’ operations at the ITC, the University of Rochester, and Rochester Institute of Technology, which is necessary to manufacture solar panels."

MEMS (micro-electronic-mechanical systems) research into solar energy as a power source is currently under way at places such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Department of Energy's Sandia and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.

ITC CEO David Smith said there are several ways that they may play a role in alternative energy solutions.

"For example," he said, "we have the necessary micro-fabrication tools at ITC to prototype solar technology on a six-millimeter wafer. We could also help a company with the advanced manufacturing expertise needed to scale-up the prototype to a large-panel format. Some of our tools can also be applied to prototyping fuel cells."

Smith also foresees a role for another ITC competency—smart sensors—in the alternative energy picture.

"Smart sensors could be used to provide continuous, online monitoring of a solar panel array," he explained. "That's critically important, because a panel array needs to function properly to be cost effective. The sensors could detect panel failure problems so they could be corrected."

Smith added that the Upstate New York region, including ITC, can be a hot spot in the push for alternative energy sources. "Competencies in coating, advanced manufacturing, optics, and Microsystems can all be found right in this area," he said. "And each of these can play an important role in developing dependable alternative energy."

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