NTCXF spectuclar presidents letter today out
Now there is one. There could soon be five.
I’m talking about NIPS. That’s Natcore’s Intelligent Processing System. NIPS, our new machine that will allow us to refine and deliver our cost-effective anti-reflective (AR) coating process to solar fabrication facilities.
We first told you about NIPS just four months ago, when we began producing it at MicroTech Systems in Fremont, CA. Now we are in the machine’s final testing phase. We are also working on integrating our black silicon application to this tool, which will make NIPS the only machine able to grow an AR coating on black silicon.
NIPS will allow us to refine and deliver a cost-effective AR coating process to solar fabrication facilities. Moreover, our black silicon application could increase efficiency of solar cells by two to three percent, and could increase total daily power output by a much greater degree. (We’re breaking entirely new ground here, and there’s no way to accurately determine the power advantages of a black silicon solar cell until we actually create one and test it.)
We are having “NIPS 1” installed in our new laboratory facility at the Eastman Business Park in Rochester, NY, where we plan to consolidate our R&D efforts. This facility exceeds our advanced equipment, clean room and testing requirements and, along with a joint development agreement that we have signed with Kodak, will enable us to tap into the rich talent pool in Rochester — including many highly credentialed casualties of their downsizing. This will greatly increase our scientific and intellectual depth, and allow us to proceed at a much faster rate on our other technologies and applications.
The thrust of our efforts with Kodak will be to utilize their equipment and experience in high-speed, roll-to-roll manufacturing of thin films as we develop a flexible solar cell. Kodak’s cutting-edge facilities, as well as their leading expertise, are at our disposal for relatively small cash outflows. This roll-to-roll technology could reduce the cost to manufacture solar cells by as much as 60 percent.
(Please note that we will continue to utilize Professor Andrew Barron’s group at Rice University through joint research agreements to develop our tandem solar cell, and to explore additional applications for our technology.)
The NIPS #2 will go to Hunan TLNZ Solar Technology Co. Ltd. (TLNZ) of Xiangtan, China, with whom we have signed a letter of understanding. After extensive testing and adjustments in Fremont, if necessary, the device will be shipped to TLNZ. The sale closing is contingent upon a successful test by TLNZ.
NIPS #3 will be sent to Natcore Technology (Zhuzhou) Ltd., our joint venture formed with the Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone. (I’ve been asked why we didn’t build NIPS 1 at our joint venture. The answer is simple: we wanted our first machine to be perfect. Our strategy has paid off: We have two very important, patented improvements that were conceived of and implemented after construction had begun. Simply put, these options had not been thought of before and do not exist currently in China or anywhere else. American technology is still the best in the world.)
We have confidence that NIPS #4 will be sold to another large Chinese solar company. This company, with a 500-megawatt production facility (this is equal to the entire U.S. solar cell production capacity), will be sending a delegation including their CEO and CTO to visit our Rice and Rochester labs in mid August. They want to discuss how our process can be integrated into their fabrication lines. We also plan to discuss potential joint venture opportunities with them.
We hope to build NIPS #5 for Italian solar company that will be visiting us early in August to evaluate our equipment and investigate joint venture opportunities here in the United States. This company, too, will send their CEO and CTO to meet with us. We have already met with them in Red Bank, at their New Jersey facility, and in Milan.
As you can see, we are focused on identifying and partnering with world-class companies with extensive manufacturing experience. By partnering with the very best manufacturers to integrate our equipment and technology seamlessly into fabrication lines, we know we will be able to meet any company’s needs in the future.
We could have built NIPS 1 more quickly, and perhaps sold one sooner into a Chinese production line. We chose not to go this route, however, because our goal is to make Natcore’s products the gold standard in the industry.
We are not trying to make a quick trade; we are trying to build a business. We are not in this for an exit strategy — we want to deliver revolutionary products that transform entire industries and richly reward our shareholders.
And, along the way, we plan to change the world for the better.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
