Advent Solar Arrival

Martin Hermann appointed Chief Strategic Officer

Advent Solar Appoints New Chief Strategic Officer was the recent news from Advent Solar, Inc. Joining Advent Solar in June 2008, Mr. Hermann:

is responsible for the areas of Business Development and Strategy, Planning and Sourcing, as well as Advent Solar’s international growth.

Additional information about Mr. Hermann’s background and experience is available in his public LinkedIn profile.

During my Hiatus, I missed this key Advent Solar press release, With No Need for Manufacturing Unit until Next Year, Advent Solar Releases Work Force. The layoff of 68 workers was the result of the extended research, development, testing, and certification required for the commercialization of 156mm Emitter Wrap-Through (EWT) solar cells and modules. The 156mm EWT solar cell product delay until early next year (2009) confirmed anonymous rumors regarding process issues in my prior Advent Solar posts.

While the Board of Directors is no longer listed on the Advent Solar website, company founder and former CEO Rusty Schmit resigned from the Advent Solar board according to his innovation: article, Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur.

At the 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 33), Advent Solar presented this paper in a poster (sorry about the overexposure) session:

Area 4: Poster - Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Technologies
#532
Busbarless Emitter Wrap-Through Solar Cells and Modules
Peter Hacke, Brian Murphy, David Meakin, Jason Dominguez, Johnny Jaramillo, Michael Yamasaki, James Gee
Advent Solar, Inc., Albuquerque, NM, USA

Downloadable by registered conference attendees from the PVSC 33 website, the paper details proof of concept work on busbarless (versus edge-contact geometry) 125mm x 125mm EWT solar cells in preparation for larger area 156mm x 156mm EWT solar cells.

Per Advent Solar in March 2008:

In order to get the new larger solar cell to market as soon as possible, the company said that the product development phase will take six months, followed by three months of testing, and then six months of certification.

If Advent Solar succeeds with their 156mm EWT solar cell development and commercialization efforts, will the company rehire workers to kick start production in spring 2009 or pursue strategic options utilizing Mr. Hermann’s “extensive experience in M&A” (Mergers and Acquisitions)?

Solar Light Flashes: December 31, 2007

Select Photovoltaic News Tidbits

In this final Solar Light Flashes of 2007, I need to catch up on accumulated tidbits I’ve collected over the past few months.

Advent Solar, Inc.
If recent events at Miasolé regarding former CEO David Pearce are the precedent (see Former Miasolé Employees Confirm Cuts by Jennifer Kho at Greentech Media), then Advent Solar Appoints Peter Green as new President and CEO, tends to indicate Rusty Schmit’s days with Advent may be numbered despite the claim:

Company founder Rusty Schmit will remain a member of the Board of Directors in an active role focused on strategic initiatives and will be working with Peter to ensure a smooth transition.

This development also lends credence to anonymous rumors the retooling and layoffs are masking process issues.

Blue Square Energy
While I was on my best behavior at the Dow Jones VentureWire Alternative Energy Innovations 2007 conference in Redwood City, California, AlternativeEnergy.com captured this video of Blue Square Energy (BSE) President and CEO Jeff Barnett’s presentation.

Concentrix Solar GmbH
In the under reported Concentrix passes all tests required for starting construction of its 500 kW power plant in Spain (October 2007), the company’s 5.75 kW prototype system passed ISFOC, Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración S.A. or Institute of Concentration Photovoltaics Systems, required qualification tests including draft IEC standard 62108 D8d (now IEC 62108 Ed. 1.0). Construction of the 200 kW Puertollano, Castilla La Mancha – Spain, installation was supposed to begin in early November 2007.

Greentech Media
Greentech Media: Conversations has so far rolled out two of a six part discussion series with Dr. Richard Swanson, co-founder, President, and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of SunPower Corporation. Since the series is sponsored by SunPower and mirrored over at the SunPower website as the Richard Swanson Podcast Series, this series has the appearance of an infomercial. Then again, what photovoltaic company would want to sponsor a series about a competitor? Nonetheless, I am sure these podcasts with Dr. Swanson are worth a listen.

Izusu Glass Co., Ltd.
DigInfo (Digitized Information, Inc.) has a short video about Izusu Glass compound parabolic concentrators (CPC) produced using a glass mold process to reduce manufacturing costs.

Oerlikon Solar
I just noticed this public relations Oerlikon Solar Image Film on the website available via streaming (English, Deutsch) or download. And here is an apparent bootleg video Report on solar energy from CASH-TV in German (Deutsch) aired back on October 7, 2007. Oerlikon Solar is a business segment of OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (VTX:OERL).

REC Solar Grade Silicon LLC
This REC Silicon Groundbreaking video by Grant County EDC showed up on YouTube before Christmas even though the ceremony to mark the construction of the new Solar Grade Silicon manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Washington USA, was held way back on August 16, 2006.

A few updated photos of the construction are posted on the Grant County Economic Development Council website at REC Silicon Project. Slated to ramp in the second half of 2008, the new plant is based on a proprietary FBR (Fluidized Bed Reactor) process and will add 6500 MT (Metric Tons) of granular Solar Grade Silicon production capacity. REC Solar Grade Silicon LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (OSL:REC).

Solarvalue AG
The stockings of Solarvalue AG (XETRA:SV7) shareholders were empty this Christmas. No (char)coal, wood chips, quartz, or Solar Grade Silicon (SGS) sample material from a US lab. But did the Solarvalue ÜberBull get high sulfur coal from Santa Claus?

Two series begun in 2007 remain unfinished. I have noticed significant interest in Timminco Limited: O Canada! Solar Grade Silicon, Eh? – Part 1. This is a top priority at the start of 2008, and I have two additional parts planned. There was also supposed to be a Part 3 after Sunways goes its own Silicon ways – Part 2 to cover the Automotive solar segment of Sunways. I have the material but just have not gotten to the write up.

Once again I wish everyone a Happy New Year 2008 and may it be happy and prosperous for us all.

Solar Light Flashes: October 22, 2007

Select Photovoltaic News Tidbits

Once again, conferences including Solar Power 2007 and 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) have dominated Blog coverage since September. I have accumulated anecdotes and news about Blog staples and newer companies and topics over this time period.

Advent Solar, Inc.
During Solar Power 2007, I talked to an Advent Solar spokesperson at their Hyatt Regency Ballroom stand. The spokesperson claimed the retooling of Advent’s 25MWp (MegaWatt-peak) line to 156mm (millimeter) silicon wafers would be completed by about November 2007 and ready for production in early 2008. The expectation is laid off workers will be recalled to ramp production on the retooled line.

In contrast, before Solar Power 2007, my request for a reiterative quote from the Advent Solar Management Team about the retooling to dispel anonymous rumors of process issues with Advent’s Emitter Wrap-Through (EWT) solar cells was denied. My subsequent request to meet a member of the Advent Solar Executive Management Team at Solar Power 2007 was also denied. I may be a niche Blogger, but I don’t seem to have trouble getting to talk with Photovoltaic company CEOs. Could there be some shred of truth behind this rumor?

Blue Square Energy
After seeing my post, Select Videos from the 22nd EU PVSEC, Joe Babin from Blue Square Energy (BSE) wanted to clarify Dr. Allen Barnett’s relationship with the company. Dr. Allen Barnett sits on the Board of Directors and has a technology consulting contract with BSE. BSE President and CEO Jeffrey Barnett will present this week at VentureWire’s Alternative Energy Innovations Conference.

ersol Thin Film
I noticed ersol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6) CEO Dr. Claus Beneking at the ersol Solar Power 2007 stand. Dr. Beneking was willing to answer a few questions about the recent developments at ersol Thin Film. He confirmed the basic facts I got from ersol reported in Oerlikon solar (almost) at work: ersol Thin Film delays production. ersol Thin Film plans to solidify their production toolset before further expansions to or by 100MWp in the 2009/2010 timeframe. ersol Thin Film expects to be the first company in production with micromorph tandem modules by adding Oerlikon’s KAI 1200^M2 deposition system to their existing production line.

GreenVolts Inc.
GreenVolts has been expanding the management team by hiring Joseph “Chip” Krauskopf as Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Smith as Director of Project Operations, Shaun Ferguson as Vice President of Global Supply Chain, and Craig Lewis as Vice President of Government Relations. Of most interest, Mr. Smith defected from SolFocus where he was the Director of Field Operations leading the ISFOC installations. Please see GreenVolts Continues Momentum With Addition Of Technology And Solar Power Veterans and GreenVolts Positions For Worldwide Expansion With Addition Of Experienced Executives for the respective press releases.

GreenVolts will also present at VentureWire’s Alternative Energy Innovations 2007 and again at the 20th NREL Industry Growth Forum.

Inside Greentech
Since Inside Greentech (was) acquired by the Cleantech Network™, LLC to become Cleantech.com, the online publication seems to have lost its charm and gone corporate. Even The Greentech Avenger has renamed himself The Cleantech Avenger. I can’t imagine Spiderman going with a name change.

M.SETEK Co.,Ltd.
M.SETEK President Ritsuo Matsumiya delivers an Opening Ceremony speech in Japanese (with English subtitles, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X0RI-eQF7U) on May 24, 2007, at their Polysilicon Plant located in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

Sol3g, S.L.
In a press release titled SOLÚCAR TRUSTS IN SOL3G from September 13, 2007, Sol3g announced Solúcar Energia, S.A. obtained a 25% stake in Sol3g by contributing 50% of the capital in a follow on financing round. The balance of the funding is a participative credit from ENISA, a government capital investment arm part of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. The proceeds will be used to execute Sol3g’s business plan and complete the production capacity expansion to 5MWp by the end of 2007. The exact Euro sums of these investments were not disclosed.

As an Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) supporter, I appreciated this post, Bloggers should be allowed to join the journalist party, by Don Reisinger on his CNET The Digital Home Blog.

Speaking of Blogs, Madan’s Blog asks the question, Solar Energy - Heat or Hype?

Advent Solar retooling for larger wafers

[Milano, Italia]

Production and manufacturing layoffs temporary?

When I checked my Google alerts this morning, the headline Advent Solar announces layoffs by Jeff Maher caught my immediate attention. I was planning to include photos of their back contact, Emitter Wrap-Through (EWT) solar cells and modules (Italiano) in my Exhibition roundup.

Since Advent Solar is exhibiting here at the 22nd EU PVSEC, it was easy enough to walk over to their stand and get the straight scoop. Per a company spokesperson, the layoff is related to Advent’s decision to retool their 25MWp (MegaWatt-peak) solar cell production line from 125mm to 156mm silicon wafers. Per Rob Day in Advent Solar, SV Solar, TrafficCast, Cyber-Rain and other news, the recent $70 Million in Series D Funding will also be used to expand capacity to about 70MWp. I presume this implies additional lines will be installed while the first line is retooled for 156mm wafers?

It appears Advent started with 125mm wafers because that was what they were able to procure in this rough polysilicon and silicon wafer sourcing environment. And it sounds like the 25MWp capacity was not fully ramped with 125mm wafers anyway.

Even though I saw the Advent solar modules last year in Dresden, I am finding the multicrystalline blue solar cells striking without the front side metal contacts. An Advent spokesperson claimed Italian customers and exhibition visitors are giving the modules rave reviews for aesthetics.

The 23rd EU PVSEC and Exhibition will be held next year, 2008, in Valencia, Spain. No date has been set yet, but late September has been tipped because of various European vacations and holidays. Perhaps I will get to celebrate Labor Day next year.