Skyline Solar Awarded Two Additional Green Patents from the USPTO

Company Receives Accelerated Approval for its Second Patent under the USPTO Green Technology Pilot Program; New Patent Issuances Bring Total to Three with 39 Applications Pending

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Skyline Solar, a manufacturer of High Gain Solar (HGS) arrays for the commercial, industrial, government and utility markets, today announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently issued the company two patents which cover key aspects of Skyline Solar’s HGS architecture. The new patents complement the initial omnibus patent received in May under the USPTO’s Green Technology Pilot Program, and are part of a broad and deep portfolio of intellectual property protecting key elements of HGS technology.

The first of the new patents (US 7,820,906), also approved through the Green Technology Pilot Program, covers the Skyline Solar HGS system’s unique panel design and includes innovations in thermal management and mounting systems that keep the cells cool, a key challenge for concentrated solar technologies, and allows for rapid installation. The second patent, approved through the traditional USPTO channels (US 7,825,327), covers the solar collector, and includes innovation embedded in multiple-trough reflector systems which enables high collection efficiency.

“The Green Technology Pilot Program has been critical to establishing the integrity of our intellectual property with potential customers, partners and investors, and has had a significant impact on the solar industry as a whole,” said Thomas Rohrs, CEO of Skyline Solar. “The three patents we have seen issued in last six months solidify Skyline Solar’s foundation of innovation and put us in a great position to grow our business.”

The awarding of three patents by the USPTO thus far in 2010 is just one example of a government initiative where Skyline Solar has experienced success. In 2008, the company was selected by the US Department of Energy through the Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP; formerly, the Solar America Initiative) for a PV Incubator sub-contract. The program’s goal was to accelerate promising technology into pilot production. The awarding of the contract recognized Skyline Solar for developing a technology that “could make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity.”

About Skyline Solar

Skyline Solar manufactures High Gain Solar (HGS) arrays incorporating industry-proven silicon cells, durable reflector materials and single-axis tracking into a complete, easy-to-deploy system. Skyline HGS delivers ten times more energy per gram of silicon than traditional flat panel systems. Built primarily out of commodity materials and assembled using globally available manufacturing processes, Skyline HGS simultaneously improves financial payback and scalability, thereby accelerating the path to grid parity.

Skyline was founded in 2007 and is led by veterans of the solar energy and high volume manufacturing industries. The company is funded by NEA, other VCs and strategic investors, and by a US Department of Energy (DOE) grant. Skyline went from prototype to first grid connected customer in less than one year and is in commercial manufacturing. For more information, visit www.skyline-solar.com.

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Contacts

Schwartz Communications (for Skyline Solar)
Jason Morris or Katy Garlinghouse, +1-415-512-0770
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Source: Skyline Solar

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Image of the Skyline Solar HGS Panel: Patent #US 7,820,906 approved through the accelerated USPTO Green Technology Pilot Program (Graphic: Business Wire)