Industry News
According to the East Bay Business Times, ventional silicon-based solar cell, it could, American regional headquarters of
solar startup Cool Earth Solar is build- at least in theory, provide terawatts of clean SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., plans to con-
ing a small prototype solar plant near its solar electricity at a low cost in the coming struct a new plant for the manufacture of
Livermore headquarters that it says will decades. A laboratory built to develop the silicon ingot and solar wafers in the Salem
prove the viability of its new technology new solar technology that replicates plant’s Renewable Energy and Technology Park,
to generate electricity from the sun. Cool photosynthesis started work on October having received approval from the city
Earth is also planning to build a 1.5-mega- 30th in Shotton, North Wales. council in the City of Salem, Oregon. The
watt plant near Tracy to prove it can scale plant is planned to begin operations in
its technology, followed by a 10-megawatt suntech plans to grab bigger share October 2009 and be at full operation by
solar power plant in the Central Valley. of us solar market April 2010, with a production capacity of
www.coolearthsolar.com Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. plans to approximately 70 MW, bringing the total
triple its sales to the U.S. in 2009 through ingot and wafer production capacity in
canadian solar completes ingot expansion of dealer network, acquisition of America to approximately 100 MW.
and wafer plant commercial-scale solar integrator EI Solu- www.sanyo.com
Canadian Solar Inc. has completed and tions, and joint venture with MMA Renew-
commissioned the Phase I of its ingot able Ventures to develop, finance, own satcon sells business units to focus
and wafer plant on schedule, giving the and operate large solar projects. Suntech on solar photovoltaic
company an annualized ingot and wafer is establishing a joint venture with MMA Satcon Technology Corp. recently sold its
capacity of 60 MW. Phase II of the ingot Renewable Ventures, forming Gemini electronics and motors divisions in order
plant is expected to be completed by year- Solar Development Company LLC, which to focus its financial, technical and market-
end, ahead of the original schedule. This will seek to develop, finance, own and ing resources on the growth of its photo-
will bring the company’s ingot and wafer operate large-scale PV projects greater than voltaic and fuel cell power conditioning
capacity to 150 - 200 MW. Both new plants 10 megawatts. www.suntech-power.com solutions business. The Boston company
are fully financed and fully supplied with sold the electronics division to Spectrum
both wafer and feedstock for Q4. This solectria renewables adds mem- Microwave Inc., a subsidiary of Fairview,
will enable the company to produce 45-50 bers to management team Pa.-based Spectrum Control Inc., and the
MW of polysilicon cells and UMG e-Cells Solectria Renewables has added two new motors division to Torrance, Calif.-based
internally in Q4. www.csisolar.com members to its growing management team. U.S. Hybrid Corp. www.satcon.com
Scott M. Bowden joins as business develop-
surfect Technologies appoints ment manager and Brad Sherman as sales solar power partners secures $160
industry vet solar product manager associate. Bowden will oversee business million in financing
Surfect Technologies Inc., a provider of development for the company’s extensive Solar Power Partners, Inc. (SPP) has
interconnection and packaging solutions line of grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) inverters closed close to $100 million of equity and
for solar cell applications, appointed David and accessories. Brad Sherman will manage debt financing to date. Additionally, SPP
Pham product manager. Prior to joining Solectria Renewables’ existing and growing expects to close an additional $60 million
Surfect, Pham was chief consultant at the customer base with all sales information in committed project financing in 2008;
NextLevelGroup where his responsibilities and support. www.solren.com these additional funds will be used for
included sales, marketing and renewable development of solar energy facilities and
energy consulting for small to large busi- new Biosolar processes could halve associated asset management services.
nesses. www.surfect.com cost of solar cells SPP’s investors and lenders include United
BioSolar Inc., the developer of a break- Commercial Bank, Globespan Capital
hague to buy thin film quantum dot through technology to produce bio-based Partners, The Enlightened World Founda-
pV cell producer solterra materials from renewable plant sources tion, Carrelton Asset Management, Dry
Hague Corp. has signed a binding letter that reduce the cost of solar cells, an- Creek Ventures, Silicon Valley Technology
of intent to purchase all of the assets of nounced a new technique that further Group, and most recently, Energy Investors
Solterra Renewable Technologies, Inc. The reduces the cost of its BioBacksheet™ Funds, a leading private equity investor in
agreement between Hague and Solterra product. BioBacksheet, currently being the US power market, among others.
requires Hague to fund Solterra a total of readied for production, is expected to deliv- www.solarpowerpartners.com
US $5M within sixty days of signing a final er a 25% reduction in cost compared to its
Asset Purchase Agreement. petroleum-based counterpart used in solar applied materials names Karsner to
www.solterrasolarcells.com panels. As a result of ongoing research and board of directors
development efforts, however, BioSolar Applied Materials Inc.appointed Alexan-
solar paint on steel could generate has recently developed a new material con- der “Andy” Karsner to serve on its board
renewable energy soon figuration and manufacturing technique to of directors, effective immediately. Mr.
In three years’ time, according to Renew- produce a version of BioBacksheet that can Karsner has also been appointed to serve
able Energy World, buildings covered potentially deliver a 50% reduction in cost. as a member of the strategy committee of
in steel sheets could be generating large A patent application has been filed for this the board. Mr. Karsner served as Assistant
amounts of solar electricity, thanks to a new invention. www.biosolar.com Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renew-
new photovoltaic paint that is being devel- able Energy at the U.S. Department of
oped in a commercial partnership between sanyo building new solar ingot and Energy (DOE) from March 2006 to August
UK university researchers and the steel wafer production plant 2008. www.appliedmaterials.com
industry. Because the photovoltaic paint SANYO North America Corporation, a
has none of the material limitations of con- wholly owned subsidiary and the North Founder of gT solar joins suniva’s
www.globalsolartechnology.com Global Solar Technology – November/December 2008 – 39
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