The startup, , plans to use the new funding — via a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and $1 million in angel investment — to further their copper-based paste technology, called CuBert, invented and patented at UofL. The paste can replace silver components currently used in solar panels, making them less expensive to manufacture.Ěý

“Silver is a huge issue for the industry because the price volatility and there may not be enough to produce the amount of solar panels needed,” said Thad Druffel, theme leader for solar manufacturing R&D at UofL’s . “We can solve it by changing one simple ingredient.”

Druffel invented the technology with former post-doctoral research associate, Ruvini Dharmadasa, and now is CEO of Bert Thin Films.Ěý

According to , purchasing and installing a solar panel system can cost between $15,000 and $25,000, making them a big investment for people and companies wanting to reduce their carbon footprint. Druffel believes that by replacing silver components with CuBert paste, manufacturers can reduce their production costs significantly, which would reduce the cost to consumers.

With reduced costs, Druffel said, solar panels could become a more accessible and economical choice for consumers. According to the , opting for renewable energy sources, like solar power, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

The company plans to use the new funding to further de-risk the technology for the manufacturers. The Department of Energy grant, received in late 2021, is part of meant to help integrate clean energy sources into the U.S. electrical grid.Ěý

The technology suite was patented through the UofL Office of Research and Innovation’s intellectual property and technology transfer arm, . The university supports its startups through , which works to make connections between entrepreneurs, funders and UofL-born intellectual property.Ěý

“We love to see UofL startups succeed, and we’re very proud of Bert Thin Films for this recent funding,” said Will Metcalf, an associate vice president for research and innovation who leads UofL New Ventures. “The technology Bert Thin Films is commercializing has the potential to make a big impact in engineering a future economy driven by new energy materials and manufacturing processes.”

Physical Plant began transitioning toward sustainable energy more than 10 years ago when it converted to propane-fueled lawn mowers. Propane is an alternative energy source that produces next to zero greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants; this is due to the compound’s low carbon content. The department later offered its expertise to other organizations, including Louisville Metro Government, as it began transitioning to propane-powered landscaping equipment.

As technology continued to advance, Physical Plant began working with companies and developers within the industry to procure even more environmentally-conscious equipment. According to Greg Schetler, superintendent of grounds, UofL was the first institution in the commonwealth to start incorporating battery-powered tools into its day-to-day operations.

“We’re all here at the University of Louisville for research and education, and that’s what the Physical Plant is here to support. We have pushed our suppliers to stock, promote and sell sustainable, battery-powered equipment. We’re proud to be the first in the state to move toward these alternatives because it’s absolutely the direction we need to go in,” Schetler said.

Physical Plant currently owns over 25 pieces of battery-powered equipment, including leaf blowers, chainsaws, weed eaters, hedge trimmers and shop tools. In addition to the several propane-fueled lawn mowers, Physical Plant recently acquired a battery-powered, commercial-grade zero turn lawnmower in March of 2020. This made UofL the first organization in the state to purchase and utilize this particular innovation in green landscaping technology.

Despite the host of benefits offered by sustainable alternatives, the adoption of battery-powered equipment does come with its own set of challenges. In addition to an increased price point, some tools are not functional on a commercial level due to their short battery lives. Physical Plant has been able to cross these hurdles through industry research and strong relationships with various suppliers.

“We consider ourselves early adopters of the technology and we want to support it, but we are not willing to overpay for it; we have to be a fiscally responsible department. So, we work with our vendors to demo products before purchasing, or we do a trial run with the product to make sure the battery life can meet the needs of our groundskeepers.”

Physical Plant has served as a champion for sustainability within the industry for the past decade, and the department plans to honor its commitment to the environment by researching and acquiring the newest and cleanest innovations in the coming years.

“It’s only going to continue to get better. The equipment will only become more affordable and reliable with time,” Schetler said. “The Physical Plant team is keeping an eye on what the future of the green industry is going to look like and how we can continue to become even more sustainable moving forward.”

The supports promising early-career faculty who are potential role models in research and education. The award is $500,000 spread over five years, andĚýSpurgeon is one of only a handful of non-faculty recipients.

“I’m thrilled,” said Spurgeon, theme leader for solar fuels at . “These grants are so competitive, and this is huge for me.”Ěý

Spurgeon’s work at UofL centers on hydrogen fuels, which he can make with just water and sunlight. With this award, he hopes to lower the cost of that method to make solar hydrogen more competitive with hydrogen derived from fossil fuels.

“We’re targeting the intersection between high-efficiency and low-cost,” he said. “The goal is to make clean, green, renewable fuel accessible.”Ěý

The basic idea is to separate water, or H₂O, into hydrogen and oxygen using photocatalysts, which cause chemical reactions when exposed to sunlight. Spurgeon places the photocatalyst in the water, shines sunlight on it, and boom — potent, energy-dense hydrogen fuel.Ěý

The problem, he said, is that this method is currently more expensive than fossil fuels because it relies on a combination of expensive commercial photovoltaic and electrolysis equipment. Spurgeon’s CAREER Award research will seek to lower the cost by integrating all of those components into a single semiconductor particle, making the whole process more cost-effective.Ěý

“This would enable low-cost solar energy storage and sustainable fuel production,” said Mahendra Sunkara, director of the UofL Conn Center. “Such a technology could revolutionize the energy industry and greatly expand the energy independence of the United States.”

You can check out some of Spurgeon’s technologies andĚý

In addition to the research component, Spurgeon also will use his award to help build and develop a new master’s degree at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering focused on renewable energy and materials. He also plans to help underrepresented undergraduate students secure research internships and help final-year graduate students with their entrepreneurial and commercialization efforts.Ěý

“Dr. Spurgeon is pursuing truly ground-breaking work that can broadly impact fields as diverse as transportation and utilities,” said Robert S. Keynton, Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation. “We’re very proud of his accomplishment and his contributions to research and innovation at UofL.”Ěý

Including Spurgeon’s, UofL researchers have received 21 total NSF CAREER Awards totaling some $7.1 million.