DCR Solar Project Top Ten Finalist in NASA iTech

University of Michigan and Unified Solar Corporation – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Photovoltaic Cell-Level Power Balancing Using Intrinsic Energy Storage for High-Efficiency, High-Reliability Solar Power

from NASA iTech

May 29, 2018

The NASA iTech Energy competition has selected the top 10 finalists to present their game-changing technologies at a forum next month in New York. The 2018 NASA iTech Cycle II Energy is a collaborative effort between NASA and the U.S. Department (DOE) of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to find and foster innovative solutions for critical energy challenges on Earth and in space.

The 10 finalists were selected by a multi-disciplinary team of experts from NASA and ARPA‑E. The finalists will present June 13 and 14 at the NASA iTech Energy Forum, hosted by Citi Global at its headquarters in New York City. Representatives from NASA, DOE, other government agencies, industry, potential investors and others from across the United States will listen in as the finalists for NASA iTech share their innovative ideas.

“I look forward to seeing these 10 finalist present their ideas at the upcoming iTech forum in New York”, said Kira Blackwell, NASA iTech program executive in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.  “This is a unique opportunity to present their technologies at an event convening two federal agencies and hosted by a global private sector bank seeking solutions to common energy challenges.” 

The competition invited applicants to submit their concepts for: Fuel Cells and Regenerative Fuel Cells, High-energy-density Batteries and Supercapacitors, Solar Power Systems, Small Fission Power Systems, Innovative Power Management and Distribution and X-Factor Energy. The final category included entries that may not fit within a specific energy focus area but clearly demonstrate the potential to fill a critical need for NASA and humans on Earth.

The top three teams selected at the forum will be recognized during a nonmonetary awards ceremony on June 14 and will be available for interviews. Media interested in covering the forum should contact Gina Anderson at [email protected] by June 8 to register.

NASA iTech is an initiative by the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace in Hampton, Virginia.

To watch the teams present their ideas live on June 13 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT) and June 14 (9:10 a.m. – noon), visit:
www.livestream.com/viewnow/2018nasaitechenergycycle

For information about the NASA iTech initiative, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/itech

For information about NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech