Two Arizona State University engineers – Mariana Bertoni and Stuart Bowden – will aid photovoltaic manufacturing and supply-chain companies in advancing their technologies as part of a U.S. Department of Energy initiative. Both are faculty members in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, as well as senior sustainability scientists at the ASU Wrigley Institute.

Bertoni will work to develop technology for a novel silicon ingot growth, while Bowden will work to replace the silver in solar energy cells with copper - a more abundant and less costly material. These projects are among the research and development endeavors the Department of Energy is supporting through SunShot Solar Manufacturing 2, a program that is providing more than $24 million to 10 solar energy technology manufacturers based in the United States. The program supports the development of innovative technology for manufacturing equipment and processes that will reduce costs while increasing efficiency.