Featured Profile
Written by John Pentony on October 15, 2009
Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: SUNV)
Sunovia is not your typical early stage alternative energy company. To date, almost $40 million has been invested in research, product development, system integrations and the world-class facility located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, just west of Chicago.
Sunovia is now selling LED lighting products and infrared imaging technologies, and will soon complete its prototype solar chip before the end of 2009. Sunovia’s solar chip technology was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for award negotiation for the Solar America Initiative (SAI) Photovoltaic Technology Pre-Incubator award as announced by Energy Secretary Steven Chu in May. The Solar America Initiative is the major U.S. program for the development and commercialization of solar energy, and the Pre-Incubator award is one of the most prestigious SAI awards.
- Sunovia has signed a contract with the Energy Commission of the Dominican Republic to install 20 MW of clean solar energy at the Parque Cibernetico in Santo Domingo (at a projected $40 million)
- Sunovia has signed a $4 million volume purchase agreement for its LED lighting products
- Sunovia has finalized a $33 million basic order agreement for Infrared wafers
Sunovia has access to over $30 million of related facilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Md. and the Army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Belvoir, Virrginia.
Reviewing the qualifications of management and the quality of their advisors is the FIRST preview of this company that indicates this is not an early start up alternative energy company.
And Sunovia is ready to move. This OTCBB company has SEC filings which provide full corporate transparency.
Unlike other alternative energy companies, Sunovia has a growing revenue stream that could eliminate the need for external growth capital within the next year. The introduction of new products with a broad market demand has poised Sunovia for a move to the NASDAQ in 2010.
PRODUCTS
LED Lighting Solutions
EvoLucia, Inc. is the wholly owned lighting division of Sunovia. The company’s LED lighting products are sold under the brand name, EvoLucia™.
EvoLucia’s product development team is one of the best in the industry. Virtually every EvoLucia™ fixture provides the highest uniform lumen output in the industry. By employing a total system approach which includes thermal management of LEDs, power conversion, electro-optical and mechanical designs, Sunovia’s customers receive critical system components that are optimized for their needs and seamlessly integrated within the EvoLucia™ lighting fixtures. This results in a tremendously cost-effective and energy efficient LED lighting system that typically saves the customer more than $1,000 per fixture over the 12+ year lifetime.
EvoLucia LED Fixtures
EvoLucia, Inc. creates, patents and markets proprietary LED lighting fixtures through strategic partnerships and energy solution providers, such as ESCOs. The company controls more than 30 patents and patents-pending that are critical to LED lighting fixtures/ More than 60 proprietary LED components and LED fixture designs are on track to be owned within the next three years.
EvoLuciaTM is now replacing conventional fixtures with highly efficient EvoLuciaTM LED lighting systems in:
- U.S. cities
- Foreign countries
- Residential developments
| CAN12 Canopy Light | PS9 Parking Garage Light | LP3 Light Pack | UTL-1 Utility Light |
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Roadway and Site Lighting
| Decorative Post-Top Lighting | The Fairview Collection | LED Cobra Head |
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ADVANCED ENERGY CONVERSION
Infrared (IR) Detectors
Sunovia is capable of providing the most advanced IR materials in the world to the United States military and its allies, who must be approved by the U.S. State Department. The mercury cadmium telluride (MCT)-based IR material markets are rapidly evolving, and Sunovia is strategically positioned to capture a significant portion of this growing market.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Energy Materials 
Sunovia is creating a disruptive technology by producing the most powerful solar cells ever made. The proprietary manufacturing techniques for the commercialization of Cadmium Telluride on Silicon (CdTe/Si) materials have created the most uniform and efficient photovoltaic cells in the world, which have been validated by independent national acclaimed research laboratories. Sunovia’s goal is to achieve grid parity pricing, meaning its solar technology would produce the first solar cells able to produce electricity at a cost to consumers equal to or better than pricing available on the power grid. Success in reaching this milestone would position the Company’s products not only to displace conventional solar technology, but to create a clean energy source with economics superior to fossil fuels. 
There are no direct competitors operating in this area of the industry, and there are significant barriers to entry. Sunovia has an exclusive partnership with EPIR, who pioneered CdTe/Si photovoltaic cells. This technology grew out of EPIR’s groundbreaking work on infrared imaging and detection equipment for the U.S. defense industry, in which it has been engaged since 1998. Sunovia and EPIR believe no other company in the world today has a similar process or can produce comparable photovoltaic materials and components. Management estimates that it has at least a 4-year lead in the development of these next generation solar cells.
The production of CdTe/Si solar cells is commercially viable. Unlike rare and exotic materials such as germanium, CdTe is inexpensive to use and widely available. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), “CdTe has an almost perfect band-gap for solar energy conversion and can be made well by a variety of low-cost methods.” NREL also states that large-scale production of CdTe photovoltaics would require less than 3% of current U.S. Cd consumption. Sunovia management estimates that its ultra-high efficiency solar cells can ultimately be produced at one-fifth the cost of today’s high-efficiency conventional cells.
Sunovia has already signed a contract with the Energy Commission of the Dominican Republic to install 20 MW of clean solar energy at the Parque Cibernetico in Santo Domingo. The company also plans to integrate its solar chips with its LED lighting products to produce one of the most efficient outdoor and street lighting products ever created.
CLIENTS
Commercial and Industrial
EvoLucia is continually developing one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly lighting solutions in the world. Its system designs and next generation light-emitting diode (LED) materials for future EvoLuciaTM lighting products are proprietary to the company. EvoLucia’s existing product line meets or exceeds IES roadway standards, and includes the most highly demanded products in the industry, including: the LED Cobrahead, the LED Parking Garage, LED Post-tops, LED spotlight, and the LED canopy light, to name only a few. Sunovia is also one of the few companies that has commercialized retro-fit LED kits for street lights, which allows the company to sell only the internal lighting components of the fixture, which reduces costs to the end customer.
Sales channels for the EvoLucia product line include:
- Secure Facilities
- Mixed-Use Developments
- Harbors and Docks
- Roads and Walkways
- Landscapes
- Office Buildings
- Warehouses
- Marine Terminals
- Airports
- Distribution Centers
- Shopping Centers
- Remote Sites and Field Stations
- Perimeter Security
- Institutional Security
University / School / Corporate Campus Applications
EvoLuciaTM LED lighting is the ideal choice for illuminating school campuses, offering fixtures for roadway and pathway lighting, flag pole lighting, statue/monument lighting, task lighting, garage lighting and more. Not only do EvoLucia products reduce energy and maintenance costs, they also increase the overall quality of light by strategically placing light where it is most needed. The result is cleaner, greener and more efficient light that creates a safer environment.
Government
EvoLucia, Inc. manufactures LED lighting solutions and fixtures for many city, state and federal governmental applications. EvoLucia products are GSA listed, and EvoLucia, Inc. is registered with the CCR, and serves the local, state and federal government along with commercial, industrial, education and retail industries. These products allow clients to meet the targets outlined in Executive Order 13423 (”Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management”) and other related legislation.
TECHNOLOGIES
In addition to Sunovia’s advanced energy conversion technologies, the Company is developing one of the most energy-efficient lighting solutions in the world. The system designs and next generation light-emitting diode (LED) materials for future EvoLuciaTM lighting products are proprietary to Sunovia.
EvoLucia Lighting Technology
LEDs, the enabling components of EvoLucia solid-state lighting products, are semiconductors that produce light more efficiently than most traditional light sources. The technology has been widely used in indicator lights for a variety of consumer products, from appliances to watches, for nearly four decades. The high brightness and point-source characteristics of LEDs have made them the first choice for traffic signals and automobile tail lights, where visibility and dependability are essential for safety.
While the brightness of LEDs has made them a good alternative to HID, CFL and incandescent lamps for certain applications, they previously lacked the lumen output and optical control required for general illumination. Recent advances in LED efficiency have changed that, making LEDs an increasingly obvious choice for environmentally friendly, cost-effective lighting. LED technologies will continue to increase in efficiency, decrease in cost, and brighten the future of highly efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting.
High lumen output is only part of the equation; photometrics are equally important in delivering effective, safe lighting solutions. Photometrics are defined as the measurement of lumen intensity, and proper photometric coverage beneath a light fixture is critical to safety and security. EvoLucia’s engineers have developed proprietary techniques that provide both the highest possible photometric and optimal energy efficiency.
All system designs and next generation LED materials for EvoLucia lighting products are proprietary to the company, and all EvoLucia solid-state lighting solutions are in compliance with the recommended practices and standards of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) of North America, American National Standards Institute and other regulatory authorities.
Sunovia Solar Technology
Sunovia’s solar technology leverages existing infrared optics technology. CdTe/Si solar technology grows out of our exclusive partner, EPIR’s, pioneering work in infrared optics under the leadership of its Chairman and CEO Dr. Siva Sivananthan. EPIR created the first successful process for the production of CdTe/Si wafers. More than $30 million has already been invested in the development of the CdTe/Si technology used in Sunovia’s solar cells.
By integrating material layers used in infrared with solar materials, the Sunovia solar cells can capture a broader range of the light spectra—both non-visible (UV) and visible light—and can be manufactured for a fraction of the cost of competing products. The proprietary manufacturing techniques for the commercialization of cadmium telluride on silicon (CdTe/Si) materials have proven to create the most uniform and efficient photovoltaic cells in the world, validated by nationally acclaimed research laboratories.
The unique physical properties of CdTe make it incredibly efficient in converting the sun’s energy into electricity. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirms that, “CdTe has an almost perfect band-gap for solar energy conversion and can be made well by a variety of low-cost methods.” NREL also states that large-scale production of CdTe photovoltaics would require less than 3% of current U.S. Cd consumption. In addition, CdTe maintains its efficacy at higher temperatures, making it ideally suited for solar applications. Silicon (Si) is a very well-developed semiconductor material with a vast infrastructure and inventory of manufacturing processes and equipment, as a result of the booming semiconductor industry.
The integration of CdTe and Si was long thought by much of the solar photovoltaic community to be impossible. The breakthrough was delivered by Sunovia’s exclusive partner, EPIR Technologies, while developing infrared sensors for night-vision systems. The tremendous cost advantages and efficiencies achieved by this process are driving system development innovations that should enable an installed cost of energy equal to or better than utility grid pricing.
Sunovia’s next-generation solar cells will be integrated into concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems. The use of high-volume, low-cost optics and automatic assembly methods, with low capital and labor costs, will enable rapid scaling.
Infrared (IR) Components
Solar PV Energy Materials
Infrared Sensors and Systems
RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT
Sunovia has invested extensively into research and development activities that leverage more than 100 years of proven expertise within the fields of LED Lighting, advanced photovoltaic (PV) technologies for infrared (IR) sensors and solar energy applications. Using PV technologies, we can convert sunlight (“visible” light) directly into electricity for use as a renewable form of energy; and using IR technologies, we can capture and convert “non-visible” light into electricity for use in night-vision components and sensors.
- Solid-State Lighting Technologies
- Solid-State Synthesis and Systems
SUNOVIA & EPIR PARTNERS
EPIR Technologies, Inc.
EPIR Technologies is a world leader in infrared technology. EPIR has pioneered the growth of high-quality crystalline CdTe/Si, which is central to the development of Sunovia Solar’s CPV system. In November, 2007, Sunovia and EPIR finalized an exclusive partnership to develop advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) and encapsulant technologies, with the objective of achieving Grid Parity and reducing the overall cost of solar energy.
The Abraham Group, LLC
The Abraham Group is an international strategic consulting firm headed by former Energy Secretary and U.S. Senator, Spencer Abraham. It provides advice and assistance on business development, marketing, regulatory and government affairs, policy creation and communications strategies in the United States and key international markets. Secretary Abraham, a leading authority on renewable energy, is a senior advisor on the Sunovia Advisory Board.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
NREL is the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development (R&D). NREL, which began operating in 1977 as the Solar Energy Research Institute, is the principal research laboratory for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and also provides research expertise for the Office of Science. NREL is managed for the DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
BAE Systems
BAE Systems is a global company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defense and aerospace systems in the air, on land and at sea. BAE has major operations across five continents, with customers and partners in more than 100 countries. BAE’s business is organized around its six home markets – Australia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdon and United States.
Army Research Laboratory
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is the Army’s corporate basic and applied research laboratory. Its mission is to provide innovative science, technology, and analysis to enable full-spectrum operations. The Army relies on this ARL Team for scientific discoveries, technologic advances, and analyses to provide war fighters with capabilities to succeed on the battlefield.
MANAGEMENT
Carl Smith
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Carl Smith is the founder of Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. and the inventor of the core solar technologies that were the original basis of the company. Smith orchestrated the conceptual validation of the company’s intellectual properties, and assembled a world-class team of engineers, scientists, renowned business leaders and influential governmental figures prior to the company’s 2nd anniversary.
At Sunovia, Smith manages corporate relations, mergers and acquisitions, tactical partnerships, assessment and implementation of sales & marketing curriculums, supervision and planning of investor relations strategies, coordination of corporate advertising and promotion campaigns, supervising corporate reporting requirements, strategic planning and corporate governance and policy. After attending Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, Smith left during his junior year to pursue an opportunity within the venture capital markets. From 1992-2004, Smith’s company invested more than $50 million into development stage companies operating primarily within the telecommunications, biotech and information technology sectors. He is married with two children.
Bob Fugerer
President and Chief Technology Officer
Bob Fugerer is a co-founder of Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc., and the inventor of many of the core technologies that have triggered the company’s rapid expansion. Fugerer’s orchestration of the company’s solid-state lighting activities have placed it at the forefront of the LED industry, and have allowed the company to engage new customers and significant distribution channels that otherwise would have been lost to competing technologies. In addition, Fugerer plays a critical role in the evaluation, negotiation and execution of strategic partnerships, collaborations and acquisitions.
With respect to day-to-day responsibilities, Fugerer directs the technology development and systems integration activities at Sunovia, and works closely with sales and marketing to identify strategic product opportunities. Fugerer also oversees all personnel management and operational activities. Fugerer served as a principal engineering specialist at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) where he led the development of signal processing technologies. While at AEDC, he directed a multi-disciplined team of research engineers in the creation of innovative electro-optical instrumentation and control systems for various government organizations and commercial contractors. He is also the recipient of the Air Force technical achievement award for his work in signal processing.
Fugerer also served as a senior field applications engineer at Arrow Electronics, a NYSE company and a leading worldwide distributor of semiconductor and supply chain solutions. While at Arrow, he organized and directed national seminars and Web casts on Digital Signal Processing (DSP), authored numerous technical papers, designed software and hardware for key customers, and worked with sales and marketing teams to stimulate demand for a variety of medical, military, industrial, and consumer products. Fugerer achieved many technical certifications from leading semiconductor manufacturers such as Analog Devices, an “above and beyond” achievement award for DSP training and software development, and received the national award for demand creation from Texas Instruments in 2006.
Fugerer has published papers within the International Society of Optical Engineering journals, the EE Times Planet Analog, and other engineering symposiums and design magazines. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Lipscomb University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He also holds a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Science degree in engineering management from the University of Alabama.
Matthew Veal
Chief Financial Officer and Controller
Matthew A. Veal, chief financial officer, is a certified public accountant and venture capitalist. As chief financial officer, he is responsible for financial management of Sunovia Energy Technologies. His duties include overseeing the company’s entire accounting function, producing annual reports, devising long-term financial plans and budgets, assisting in capital raising activities, preparing, analyzing and reviewing financial data, monitoring expenditures and costs, evaluates mergers and acquisitions, and overseeing treasury and risk management.
He has been involved in venture capital with the company’s principals for several public entities including DNAPrint genomics, Global Water Technologies, Inc., the internet start-up Brandmakers, Inc. and Catalyst Communications, Inc. He has also been involved in capital raising and related functions at the seed and expansion stage for several other Florida-based ventures including Kosmas Group International, ComCentral Corporation, Global Resources Group, Inc., Diversified Resources Group, Inc., Interactive Motorsports and Entertainment Corporation and Neogenomics, Inc.
Veal served as an audit manager for Florida accounting firm James Moore & Company from 1982 to 1990. He then joined the Teltronics Group, a Sarasota, Fla.-based Telecom Equipment manufacturer and served in several positions including chief financial officer. In 1996 Veal joined Tampa Bay Financial, Inc., a venture capital firm, where he stayed until 2004. He has since maintained his own accounting practice specializing in startups and recapitalizations. He graduated from the Fisher School of Accounting at the University of Florida.
Don Sipes
Senior Director of Product Development, Solar Systems
Don Sipes, Director of Research and Development, was appointed to the Sunovia Board of Directors in February of 2007. Since 2005, Mr. Sipes has served as President and CEO of Optical Engines Inc., a company providing laser system consulting and the development of high-powered, fiber-coupled laser diodes and fiber laser systems, primarily for the Department of Defense.
Rick Kauffman
Senior Director of Product Development, Solid-State Lighting
Rick Kauffman is an expert in innovative roadway lighting. He is General Manager of Kauffman Consulting, which specializes in rapid product development for OEM manufacturers. Mr. Kauffman is member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the American National Standards Institute, where he serves on numerous Roadway and Area Lighting Committees
ADVISORS
Dr. Siva Sivananthan
President, EPIR Technologies
Dr. Sivananthan is President of EPIR Technologies, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at UIC, and Director of the Microphysics Laboratory at UIC. He has pioneered the MBE growth and characterization of II-VI narrow and wide gap semiconductors, hetero- and homo-structures, and multiple quantum well structures on CdZnTe, GaAs and Si.
R. Craig Hall
Business Advisor
As a business advisor, Hall provides valuable support in several areas such as investor relations and communication, corporate fund raising, and business development including planning, proposals and marketing strategies. Prior to working with Sunovia, Hall was co-founder and president of Research Capital Partners, a Florida-based venture capital firm that specialized in funding early-stage biotechnology companies. Research Capital Partners helped to build several life science companies which are developing new products and treatments that continue to serve the medical and forensic markets.
Spencer Abraham
Senior Advisor
Spencer Abraham is Chairman and CEO of The Abraham Group, an international strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Mr. Abraham served 6 years as U.S. Senator from Michigan and four years as the tenth Secretary of Energy of the United States. He is one of the world’s foremost experts on renewable energy and energy independence.
Ken Juster
Senior Advisor
Ken Juster has over 27 years of experience in government, law, business, and international affairs. He previously served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce from 2001-2005. He currently serves on the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations and as Executive Vice President, Law, Policy and Corporate Strategy for Salesforce.com, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing Web 2.0 companies.
Fernando Cuza – Consultant
Fernando Cuza began his career as a sports agent in 1984 and played an integral part in the negotiations of some of the largest contracts in Major League Baseball history. He has worked and traveled in Latin America for 20 years representing some of the highest profile baseball players from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama and Venezuela. His extensive experience and language fluency with the numerous cultures has resulted in the establishment of a network which has had a measurable benefit to players. His work with some of the largest Latin corporations and advertising agencies has resulted in the establishment of significant promotional income opportunities for players in their native countries. Cuza attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. He lives in Sarasota with his wife and four children.
COMPANY VIDEOS
- SUNV Company Overview
- Sunovia Solar Technology Overview
- EvoLucia LED Lighting on Sarasota’s Boulevard of the Arts
- EvoLucia LED Lighting at The Oaks Club
- CNN Spot for Sunovia
- EvoLucia in Fairview, Texas
Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc.
6408 Parkland Drive
Suite 104
Sarasota, FL 34243
Phone: 941-751-6800
Fax: 941-751-3583
Web Site: http://www.sunoviaenergy.com
http://www.EvoLucialighting.com
About Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc.: Sunovia™ Energy Technologies is a Sarasota, Florida-based company that commercializes and markets products within the LED lighting, infrared, and solar markets that reduce carbon emissions and promote national security. Sunovia’s primary lines of business are advanced, cost-effective concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) and flat panel solar systems that employ patented cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell and infrared (IR) technologies, and energy-efficient LED lighting products marketed under the EvoLucia™ brand. Sunovia has exclusive marketing rights to products produced by EPIR Technologies, Inc. for civilian and military night vision markets.
Sunovia’s solar and LED lighting technologies are among the most cost and energy efficient in the world, and the company’s research and development is dedicated to ensuring that Sunovia stays at the forefront of the renewable energy curve as markets expand and territories are defined. Sunovia is being advised by pre-eminent authorities in the field of renewable energy, including former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and former Under Secretary of Commerce Kenneth I. Juster.
Sunovia owns a significant equity interest in Illinois-based EPIR Technologies, Inc., a global leader in the field of IR sensors and IR imaging that has pioneered the commercialization of CdTe on Si and HgCdTe on Si photovoltaic products, EPIR’s collective infrared knowledge and experience is believed to exceed any company in the world. It’s Founder, Chairman and CEO Dr. Sivalingam Sivananthan is the pioneer of HgCdTe growth by MBE and is a world renowned leader in this technology. EPIR holds the patent for growing CdTe directly on a Si readout integrated circuit, for which the company is developing a manufacturing capability with Congressional funding. Sunovia and EPIR have a network of close collaborative relationships, including the Army Research Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Night Vision Electronic Sensors Directorate, BAE Systems, and other laboratories around the world.
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Disclosure: Pentony Enterprises LLC is STOCKGURU.COM, SHAREHOLDERVISION.COM and STREETRESEARCH.COM. 9555 Lebanon Road; Suite 103; Frisco, Texas 75035. (469) 252-3030. Disclosure: Pentony Enterprises LLC will be compensated seventy-two hundred dollars and 300,000 144 restricted common shares by the company for profile coverage for the period ending October 5, 2009. Pentony Enterprises is not a registered investment adviser or a broker/dealer. Pentony Enterprises LLC makes no recommendation that the purchase of securities of companies profiled in this web site is suitable or advisable for any person, or that an investment in such securities will be profitable. In general, given the nature of the companies profiled and the lack of an active trading market for their securities, investing in such securities is highly speculative and carries a high degree of risk.
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