Thin film solar

First Solar ekes by with a profit, and sets sights overseas

First Solar generated profits for the third quarter as it marches into new markets and carries out cost-cutting measures to compete at a time when there is an oversupply of solar panels worldwide and many of its rivals have declared losses or gone out of business.

A Chinese solar company you should know: Hanergy

Hanergy, a Chinese solar manufacturer, has been making news lately, first with the purchase of a German solar company and then on Wednesday with a 3-year deal to make and install solar panels on Ikea’s stores on China. But who is Hanergy?

Nanosolar raises $70M for thin film solar

Thin film solar company Nanosolar announced on Friday that it has raised $70 million, a round which includes the previously announced $20 million. Overall Nanosolar has taken in at least $450 million since its start in 2002.

Solyndra

The thin film solar panel maker received the first DOE loan guarantee, planned an IPO and filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

Solar startup MiaSole banks $55M, but needs more to scale

Solar thin film maker MiaSole is fighting for survival in a solar market that has seen many manufacturers shutter factories over the past year. The startup announced Wednesday that it’s raised $55 million to help it enter a new market and boost its sales staff.

A word of caution for next-gen solar startups

It’s been painfully apparent that many of the well-funded startups building next-gen solar tech have yet to ship solar panels in any large volumes and have missed their targets. And even the folks in the solar industry are starting to take each other to task.

As Solyndra falls, Stion scales up

Silicon Valley solar thin-film startup, Stion, on Friday officially opened the door of its factory in Mississippi, marking a milestone for the company as it seeks to expand production quickly in an increasingly competitive market.

The story behind Solyndra’s rise and fall

Solyndra just became a high-profile casualty of the youthful solar industry as Solyndra failed to compete successfully against larger solar rivals in a global market that depends heavily on government subsidies. Here’s what went wrong.

Greentech stocks crash in market sell-off, too

Tech stocks took a beating on Monday morning, the first day of trading after Standard & Poor downgraded the credit ratings of credit agencies. At the same time, greentech stocks — from solar to biofuels to smart grid — fell alongside the weak macro economic news.

Solar tube maker Solyndra raising more funds

Solyndra, the thin film solar tube maker, has been planning on raising even more funds this year, and according to a filing on Thursday, has raised another $10.66 million in options, warrants or rights to acquire another security.

First Solar on the Hunt for New Markets

Hunting for new markets has become a bigger priority for First Solar, whose executives sounded a cautious note about the market outlook on Thursday and reported declining sales and net income for the fourth quarter.

Is Solar Thin Film Profitable? Not So Much

Solar thin films have to be cheap, and that mandate makes it difficult for startups to be profitable. In fact, these alternatives to silicon solar panels are on average 12 percent cheaper, said Paula Mints of Navigant Consulting.

First Solar Snaps Up RayTracker for Tracking Tech

First Solar’s own power generation projects have always been mounted on racks that don’t tilt throughout the day to follow the sun, but the company is exploring the use of trackers. First Solar announced Friday it has bought RayTracker for an undisclosed sum.

AQT Plans for Solar Factory in South Carolina

AQT Solar, which opened a factory in Silicon Valley last year, is heading to South Carolina to set up a solar cell factory that will start with 30-40 MW of annual production capacity and reach about 1,000
MW by the end of 2014.

First Solar Moves Closer to Delayed China Project

First Solar’s big plan to eventually build 2 gigawatts of power plants in China’s Inner Mongolia has moved ahead. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with China Guangdong Nuclear Solar Energy Development Co. on Wednesday to develop the first phase, 30-megawatt project.

Solyndra to Close Factory, Layoff Dozens

This year just hasn’t panned out for Solyndra. The company will close its first factory, delay expanding its gleaming new factory and lay off dozens of employees in order to cut costs and compete with low-cost solar panel makers, mostly from China.

First Solar’s 2011 Plan: Moving Beyond Germany

Here are three strategies by First Solar for 2011: keeping its solar panel prices low to encourage its customers to open new markets, use its project development business to offset any drop in solar panel sales, and build new factories like mad.

Flexible Solar Panels Are Here, Any Takers?

After years of talking about flexible, light-weight solar thin film material that can drape over roofs, manufacturers are finally starting to deliver. SoloPower is announcing on Tuesday that its first flexible solar panel has gotten UL certification, which is required for installation in many U.S. regions.

Teaching High-Tech Gear New Greentech Tricks

Can cleantech companies cut millions of dollars from their capital needs by retrofitting old chip equipment to turn out brand-new products? If the advantages are anything close to what AQT Solar and Planar Energy claim, it very well could be the start of a new trend.

TSMC Buys $50M Stake in Stealthy Solar Startup Stion

The march of the chipmakers into solar continues. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. — a heavyweight in contract chipmaking — announced Wednesday that it has signed a licensing agreement and has invested $50 million in Silicon Valley thin-film solar startup Stion.

Daily Sprout

EIA Cuts Carbon Emissions Forecast: The Energy Information Administration now expects U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 to be 9.4 percent…

Solyndra Signs $320M Deal for Cooler Solar Roofs

Tubular solar startup Solyndra today announced a $320 million deal with Carlisle Energy Services, a newly formed division of Carlisle Construction Materials. The deal is for 100 megawatts of panels over five years which will be installed with Carlisle’s reflective roofing membrane.

Oerlikon's "Intel-Inside" Approach to Thin-Film Solar

Today Oerlikon announced that is has unveiled its newest technology, “Amorph High Performance,” which adds a zinc oxide layer to the cells, boosting efficiency nearly a full percentage while also increasing fab capacity by 50 percent. “More and more you’re going to see an Intel-inside approach to thin-film production,” Chris O’Brien, Oerlikon’s head of market development in North America, tells us.

Intel Invests in China's Cleantech

Intel Capital says it has invested $20 million in Chinese thin-film solar provider Trony Solar, and has signed an agreement to invest in a large-scale electricity storage specialist in China NP Holdings Ltd.

Semprius Stamping Out Thin-Film Solar

John Rogers and his team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have figured out how to slice monocrystalline solar wafers thin enough to be flexible and partially transparent but still maintain their high solar efficiency.

GigaNET: Willow TV, Cadmium, Mobile Tech

NewTeeVee: The return of Monday Night Football not doing it for you? Get your cricket fix online via Willow TV. Earth2Tech: Not…

Cadmium: The Dark Side of Thin-Film?

The future of the solar power industry may be bright, but solar also has a dark side — some thin-film photovoltaic solar cells contain hazardous substances like Cadmium that can pose a health risk if the solar panel is simply thrown out after it’s done soaking up the sun.

C-61 in 61 Seconds

About a month ago, we mentioned the danger in taking your iPod, iPhone, or Mac across the northern border into Canada. Now…

The LG Viewty

This so called “iPhone killer” is probably going to kill itself. The Good Based on the LG Viewty’s microsite alone, the most…

Thank You TAB Sponsors

Thanks to this week’s sponsors for keeping the hamsters fed and the wheels turning: CDW CoreCases Crucial Etymotic OWC PowerMax Qdea ResQ…

An FTP Application to Break The Mold?

Last week I wrote about my failure to understand why everyone and their dog seems to be churning out FTP and Text…

Beauty & The Geek

Geek Sugar is kicking off a series on Geek bachelors with a little Q&A with me. Who’s next? Inquiring minds want to…

Lucent-Alcatel Say – I Do!

Alcatel and Lucent Technologies have finally decided to tie the knot and merge their two companies, in what amounts to be a…

To VoIP or not to VoIP

Call Center Magazine: Goldman Sachs’ October IT Spending Survey says that 29% of CIOs polled plan to install VoIP in the next…

W3 working on mobile web standards

W3 will be discussing wireless web standards in Barcelona tomorrow and day after. Tons of presentations. No surprise, Microsoft is not presenting…

Yo Four Play

Damon Darlin at his wicked best: Verizon and SBC are getting ready to compete against the cable companies. The Wall Street Journal…

EyeBeam, iBeam… its all good

Jonathan Greene is giving some serious word-up to EyeBeam’s Mac-Friendly Media Center. And just when were getting a wee-bit jealous about the…

VoIPDaily, revived

After being comatose for nearly two months, VoIPDaily.com has been revived, thanks to some magical new cures and hard work. Actually the…