Innovation: Firms Lead Way in Solar Cells, Batteries

Within the Spectrolab facility in Sylmar is a room to grow the multi-layered solar cells used in satellites sent into space and in arrays based on Earth. The process of creating these cells is so secret that the company won’t patent it lest the world know just how it is done. For these solar cells are central to what Spectrolab does and the basis of much of the innovation taking place at this subsidiary of the Boeing Co. Each new generation of solar cell becomes more efficient as it creates a higher percentage of power drawn from sunlight. The cells used on satellites started at 12 percent efficiency and through incremental improvement now near 30 percent. The conversion rate of the solar cells used for earth-based projects has gone from 36 percent to 38 percent with the company targeting future generations of the cells to get as high as 45 percent. “Each of the designs requires a certain amount of innovation,” said David Lillington, president of Spectrolab. “The fifth and sixth generation will require more innovation and you have to look at an innovative design.” Whether disruptive to a market or merely an incremental change to an existing product, innovation is the lifeblood to any industry. Imagine a world where television didn’t displace radio and the movie theater as a source of entertainment, or in which the iPod wasn’t a dominate music player. A 2009 study by the Boston Consulting Group on innovation in the manufacturing industry called innovation a “strategic imperative” and U.S. jobs were at risk to being lured away by countries that put a premium on coming up with brand new products or business operation processes. “Only those nations that continue to invest in innovation and its enablers, such as a highly skilled and talented workforce, will stay competitive in the long run,” the study said. Ross Dueber and Paul Beach are competitors of sorts since both run companies making batteries. Driving innovation The pair agrees, however, that need is what drives innovation. Beach is president of Quallion LLC, a Sylmar manufacturer of batteries used in medical device, aerospace, and transportation industries. Quallion was co-founded by Al Mann, who also started Spectrolab in the late 1950s. Dueber is president and chief executive of ZPower, a startup in Camarillo that late last year put into production rechargeable miniature zinc batteries for use in hearing aids as an alternative to the non-rechargeable type. In an industry sector dominated by the Japanese, Quallion stands apart as the largest battery cell manufacturer in the U.S. By using less automation on its production line and a more hands-on approach, there is a flexibility to accommodate a highly variable product flow. “We make a lot of widgets over time, not just one,” Beach said. The automated manufacturing line at ZPower is like no other around, Dueber claimed, adding that the innovative approach is that it is tailored to the volumes of batteries the company wants to produce. Disposable batteries can be produced at high volume but that is not the case with rechargeable ones. But that volume is still low enough that making them by hand it not a cost-effective option either. “What we have done is get in the middle ground for the lack of a better word and do that cost effectively,” Dueber said. The needs The need ZPower meets is for a widely used battery type that can eliminate the waste of disposable batteries. In Quallion’s case, the needs it meets are driven by what customers will want to buy. Take trucking companies, for instance, who in the past few years have faced regulations throughout the country to cut down on idling engines. Quallion brought to market a battery to operate a truck’s electrical systems that uses less energy and creates less noise than the truck’s engine or a separate internal combustion engine. “We look at the market and that is where we want to go,” Beach said. Getting into a new market was behind Spectrolab taking its space solar cells and using them for terrestrial projects. The space market was flat while in comparison the alternative energy market was in a growth stage. The solar cell business accounts for nearly 80 percent of Spectrolab’s revenues. The remainder comes from searchlights, solar simulators (for testing solar cells) and government-funded research. The entire process for developing the solar cells is done in Sylmar – from the engineering to growing the cells in an intricate process involving 30 layers that capture energy from three color bands of the light spectrum. New generations of the cells will be able to capture more color bands. The cells are assembled into solar panels that are later attached to a satellite sent into space. The panels have to be able to withstand orbit with high radiation amounts and thermal extremes that range from negative 170 degrees Celsius to 220 degrees Celsius. “There is a lot of work and (intellectual property) that goes into the solar panels to ensure they are performing well in orbit,” Lillington said. Spectrolab a subsidiary of Boeing Sylmar Spectrolab has developed many industry firsts with innovations and improvements to solar cell efficiency. The ultra triple junction solar cell is an industry benchmark accepted around the world and in 2009 the company achieved a world record solar efficiency by converting 41 percent of sunlight into electricity. The solar cells developed by Spectrolab have earned awards from NASA, the California Space Authority, the National Space Foundation, and the California Council for Excellence. ZPower Inc. Camarillo Develops and manufactures silver-zinc battery technology as an alternative to the widely used lithium-ion battery. ZPower began manufacturing microbatteries in November for use in miniature electronic devices, like hearing aids, cochlear implants and computer watches. Quallion LLC Sylmar Quallion makes primary and rechargeable batteries and cells for use in the medical, military, and aerospace markets. Among its products are custom-designed batteries for aerospace applications, and the world’s smallest conventional lithium ion cell. Its patented Zero Volt technology allows for long storage periods with no permanent capacity loss due to low voltage. National Coatings Inc. Camarillo National Coatings has been recognized for its roof coatings that can be used on a variety of surfaces. In August 2010, the company released its newest quick-set base coats that can adhere to wet surfaces.