FINAL Title III SOO Advanced Solar Cells & PPI - 09232019.pdf

As of 27 August 2019

DPA Title III Advanced Solar Cells and Panel Production Improvements

Project

Statement of Objectives (SOO)

1.0 SCOPE

This project seeks to maintain domestic space solar cell suppliers providing domestic capability and to maintain U.S. technical advantage across all space missions. Domestic companies have developed space solar cell technologies that significantly improved power to weight through advanced space solar cell designs. Specific tasks will focus on maturing, improving, and automating processes associated with space solar cell production, Cells-

Interconnects-Cover-glass (CICs), bypass diodes, and space solar panels and arrays, including improving capability and capacity. This will encompass automating processes through assembly and integration. The outcome of this project is expected to improve domestic provider technical performance, lower the overall costs of space solar cells, panels, and arrays, and decrease overall delivery times. Additionally, this project will achieve AIAA qualification for advanced domestic solar products, assist in improving domestic competitiveness, and assist in improving provider performance in the satellite market including all types of DoD, USG, and NASA space missions, through optimization of domestic solar cell and array production.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The Space Industrial Base Working Group (SIBWG) has identified Solar Cells as a critical base technology. The objective of this DPA Title III Project is to maintain and expand the existing domestic, economically viable, merchant supplier production capabilities, to modernize production of their current line of space solar cells, and to produce competitive, cost-effective, space-qualified, advanced high efficiency solar cells.

There are limited domestic providers of space-qualified solar cells, each using different solar cell technologies and fabrication methods. They offer unique capabilities on the path to increased efficiencies, as each company has different technologies and approaches to ensure their success. All are facing aggressive marketing from foreign suppliers and are in danger of losing significant business as result of other countries “domestic” supplier preferences

(resulting in price supports) and potential performance differences.

In addition to increased cell efficiency, domestic suppliers offer unique solutions to manufacturing space-qualified solar panels and arrays with a greater watt per unit area than the foreign competition, but need assistance with process improvements and capital equipment to be cost competitive for domestic National Security Space programs.

The greater watts-per-unit-area results in either smaller panels with less weight and occupying a smaller volume, or greater total available power in current panel sizes for space applications. This is important for both large and small spacecraft as more power can be used for more capable payloads and/or electric thrusters. Additionally, the capability to lay panels on non-flat surfaces enables lower cost faster installations.

3.0 OBJECTIVES

The objectives identified in Section 3.E of this SOO are the specific technical requirements for this project. The Offeror shall propose a technical effort, in a prioritized list, to address as many of the objectives in Section 3.E as deemed possible with the currently available Defense Production

Act (DPA) Title III funding and anticipated company cost share for this effort.

A. Program Management, Administration, and Reporting

1. Manage and implement the project. Monitor and control the project’s cost, schedule, and performance parameters.

2. Establish a cumulative monthly expenditure profile baseline for the government funds.

Track the actual and forecasted monthly expenditures against the baseline and report it to the government quarterly.

3. Participate on the project’s Integrated Product Team (IPT) and interface with DPA Title

III project managers and agreements personnel.

4. Conduct Quarterly Project Management Reviews (PMRs) and ad hoc Technical

Interchange Meetings (TIMs) as required. At least one PMR in any year shall be conducted at the Recipient’s facility. Remaining PMRs shall be conducted by conference call, at the Recipient’s facility, or at the DPA Title III Program Offices at

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Key sub-awardees should actively participate in

PMRs.

5. Conduct a Technical Project Kickoff Meeting no later than 30 days after Agreement award.

6. Insure, maintain, operate and service all government and non-government owned capital equipment and tooling (if any) required to produce Advanced Photovoltaics.

Update and provide the Government Equipment Property List at the time of quarterly PMRs and as required.

7. Prepare for a No Cost Monitoring Phase (NCMP) after the conclusion of the technical period of performance to demonstrate and support the long-term goals of this project.

This NCMP shall provide the government with insight into the continuing operations and business viability of the Recipient, and continued insight into equipment utilization, in the event equipment was procured on this project.

8. Establish and track Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) with DPA Title III IPT concurrence. Threshold (minimum) and Objective (stretch) targets shall be established for at least two KPPs in each of the following four categories: Product Performance, Manufacturing, Financial and Marketing. Report KPP performance at quarterly PMRs and as required.

9. Conduct the following reviews as appropriate: preliminary and critical design reviews, test readiness reviews, manufacturing readiness reviews, post-test reviews, and any anomaly reviews. For the manufacturing readiness reviews, a baseline manufacturing readiness assessment (MRA) shall be conducted at the beginning of the effort and a final MRA shall be conducted after any new equipment is put in place and various cost reduction process improvements are completed.

10. Manage, including flow-down requirements, partnerships or other business arrangements needed to complete productization and qualification of the tool/equipment to be produced under Section 3.E of this effort.

B. Strategic Business Planning

1. Develop and maintain a strategic business plan to include:

a. Submit initial plan nine months after initial award; update and resubmit the plan on an annual basis thereafter.

b. Include in the planning the key issues related to the establishment of a competitive and commercially viable merchant supplier of Advanced

Photovoltaics.

c. The comprehensive strategic business planning should cover a minimum outlook of three years, and preferably five years, including all financial statements, actual and forecasts.

d. Provide performance-to-plan evaluations at regular intervals, with management review comments, to the DPA Title III project manager so long as an

Agreement relationship exists.

C. Market Planning and New Business Development

1. Develop and maintain a Marketing Plan to include but not be limited to:

a. Submit initial plan six months after initial award; update and resubmit the plan on an annual basis thereafter.

b. Strategic market planning should address current and future customer needs for

Advanced Photovoltaics.

c. Survey, be responsive to, and report to the government on (DoD and commercial) customer needs, requests, and trends for Advanced Photovoltaics.

d. Provide performance-to-plan updates at regular intervals, including reports on business capture plans (target business awards, actual awards, and missed opportunities), to the DPA Title III project manager so long as an Agreement relationship exists.

D. Business Viability and Manufacturing capability/experience

1. Address the availability of resources to be employed to become, or maintain a position as, a competitive, economically viable, responsive merchant supplier to the government and commercial sectors for Advanced Photovoltaics.

2. Provide evidence of technical understanding and institutional knowledge with respect to Advanced Photovoltaics for both the US Government and commercial markets.

Evidence may include, but is not limited to, intellectual property, documented manufacturing capability and experience, technical specifications for existing devices, and dossiers of key personnel.

E. Technical

1. Improve Low-Cost Space Cell Fabrication Processes –

Improvements are intended to increase space solar cell efficiency through implementation of new technology, while at the same time improving manufacturing efficiency through process improvements and automation of cell, CIC, and bypass diode production. The intent is improvement of yield including reduction of attrition through a focus on producibility and process improvements such as increased automation of production and test.

Additionally, process improvements and automated data collection are intended to reduce product space qualification cost and shorten the time-to-market of new technologies while maintaining high level of product reliability and performance assurance. Development and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, such as IMM (Inverted MetaMorphic) and

UMM (Upright MetaMorphic), can include any of the following tasks:

a. Improve processes and automate cells, CICs, and bypass diode production

b. Improve cell efficiency, radiation hardening, and material utilization

c. Improve process yield, capacity, and data collection, and reduce manufacturing costs (e.g., MRL 8 criteria)

d. Include experiments on producibility and capability for thinner cells

e. Qualify cells, CICs and any mission specific variants to AIAA S111

2. Advanced Solar Array/Panel Process Improvements –

Improvements are intended to lower the total cost of panel manufacturing and reduce panel production time. Inclusion of advanced solar cell technology improvements should result in a significantly improved power to weight ratio of both Watts/square meter and Watts/kilogram for solar panels. These improvements can include, but are not limited to:

a. Increase production capacity

b. Establish automated panel/array production and integration capability

c. Mature automated assembly and integration processes

d. Implement manufacturing best practices to impact manufacturing processes and costs

e. Include experiments on producibility and capability for cover-glass alternatives

f. Ensure that any solar panels are ready to be qualified to AIAA S112

4.0 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements

Recipients shall participate in activities associated with the disciplines of the organization’s

Industrial Security, Information Security, Personnel Security, Operations Security (OPSEC), Antiterrorism, and Program Protection programs, following appropriate measures in each program as required for this particular agreement. These are required in an effort to reduce program vulnerability from successful adversary collection, exploitation of critical information, and violations of export control requirements. The Recipient will ensure that all sub-awardees, if required, conform to these requirements as required by the Recipient. AFRL/RX Security can provide guidance as needed.

4.2 Program Protection Plan (PPP)

Any potential Critical Program Information (CPI) generated, as part of this effort, will be reviewed to determine the need for a PPP or to be included as part of an existing PPP.

4.3 Information Regarding Non-US Citizens Assigned to this Project

A Recipient must still comply as a domestic source, and if a non-United States of America citizen employee works on this project Sections 4.3 and 4.4 must be met:

a) Employees requiring access to USAF bases, AFRL facilities, and/or access to U.S.

Government Information Technology (IT) networks in connection with the work on this agreement must be U.S. citizens. For the purpose of base and network access, possession of a permanent resident card ("Green Card") does not equate to U.S. citizenship. This requirement does not apply to foreign nationals approved by the U.S. Department of

Defense or U.S. State Department under international personnel exchange agreements with foreign governments. Any waivers to this requirement must be granted in writing by the

Grant Officer prior to providing access. The above requirements are in addition to any other agreement requirements related to obtaining a Common Access Card (CAC).

b) For purposes of paragraph (a) above, if an IT network/system does not require AFRL to endorse a Recipient’s application to said network/system in order to gain access, the organization operating the IT network/system is responsible for controlling access to its system. If an IT network/system requires an U.S. Government sponsor to endorse the application in order for access to the IT network/system; AFRL will only endorse the following types of applications; consistent with the requirements above:

1) Recipient employees who are U.S. citizens performing work under this agreement.

2) Recipient employees who are non-U.S. citizens and who have been granted a waiver. Any additional access restrictions established by the IT network/system owner apply.

4.4 Foreign Participation: Not at Prime Recipient level.

Foreign Nationals (FNs) can be employed by the US Prime Recipient or Sub-awardee; however, FNs will be limited to Public Domain information unless the Recipient has obtained the proper

License of Technical Assistance Agreement that authorizes disclosure of CMI and/or CUI to foreign entities pursuant to the Department of State’s ITAR or Department of Commerce’s EAR.

Public Domain information is defined as information that is releasable to the general public and sometimes referred to as open source material. Examples include but are not limited to newspapers, magazines and information posted on the internet.

Any proprietary information will have to be appropriately protected.

5.0 DELIVERABLES:

The following reporting requirements are defined in TIA Section 7:

Deliverable Item Submittal Requirement

7.040 Final Report Draft Final Report due 30

days after completion of the technical phase, Final Report due 90 days after completion of the technical phase

7.050 Funds & Man-hour Expenditure Report Quarterly

7.052 Recipient’s Progress, Status and Management Report Quarterly

7.054 Strategic Business Plan 9 months ARA* and annually

thereafter

7.055 Property Control List Quarterly/As Required

7.057 Presentation Materials As Required

7.059 Recipient’s Billing Voucher Monthly

7.060 Marketing Plan 6 months ARA* and annually

thereafter

* After Receipt of Agreement or Award (ARA) and annually as long as the Agreement exists with the parties