A focus on the ever-significant solar cell industry received
another boost recently with the announcement that Intel Capital will up its
solar investments by pledging $12.5m for semiconductor and solar cell manufacturer
Voltaix.
The US-based company has provided semiconductor and thin
film solar materials for a quarter of a century and aims to expand its role in
the growing market for building-integrated photovoltaics (PV), company
President John de Neufville said in a statement.
“Our financing of Voltaix is part of Intel Capital’s
manufacturing strategy to foster innovation around integrated circuit
manufacturing and complementary clean tech areas such as thin film
photovoltaics,” explained Arvind Sodhani, President of Intel Capital.
Intel’s investment branch announced earlier this month that
it led a $133.7m round with $37.7m for Sulfurcell of Germany, which aims to
build a Berlin
plant for producing thin-film solar modules.
