GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) -- Manufacturing conglomerate 3M Co. said it signed a series of agreements with the Department of Energy to jointly research thin-film photovoltaics, concentrating solar power and biofuels.
In a statement Wednesday, 3M said it's agreements, called Cooperative Research Development Agreements, with the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory range from jointly developing renewable energy technologies to accelerated testing of 3M designs and scaling-up prototype technologies for commercial production.
The areas of investigation and testing include new reflective coatings to protect and enhance the performance of lower cost mirrors used in concentrating solar power, more efficient ethanol biofuel distillation and new moisture barrier films and flexible packaging for CIGS, or solar cells made from copper, indium, gallium and selenium.
Shares of 3M closed at $81.61 on Wednesday.
