Gov. Ted Strickland toured the Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator at the University of Toledo yesterday and pronounced himself greatly impressed.
He heard about a solar car being readied by the UT team for the North American Solar Challenge 2010, examined a fabric used in flexible solar panels, and was told that 60 percent of U.S. solar cell production was within 60 miles of the building he was in at 2600 Dorr St.
The governor said he had been touring the state, viewing high-tech facilities, and talking about renewable energy, "and no part of Ohio is more exciting to visit" than UT.
UT's incubator consists of 10 startup businesses working on new energy technologies.
First Solar Inc., the country's largest manufacturer of solar cells, had its origins at UT. The university's initial focus was on solar cells, but the emphasis now includes fuel cells, biomass, hybrid vehicles, and wind energy.
The incubator's tenants pay rent and work next to each other. "There is an advantage in being around other startups. ... They can bounce ideas off each other," said Diane Miller, assistant director of the site.On Wednesday, UT was included in a list of nine Advanced Energy Centers of Excellence announced by Mr. Strickland and Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut. Bowling Green State University also made the list.
Yesterday, the governor said the designation would help UT gain grants and other kinds of assistance. He and UT President Lloyd Jacobs praised Norman Nitschke, a man who both agreed had made the incubator possible.
Mr. Nitschke, a co-founder of Glasstech Inc., is a longtime benefactor of UT and its engineering college.
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