Effective April 1, 2012, Dr. Rolf Merte has been appointed executive VP of technology development division of the medium power solutions of SMA Solar Technology. He will be responsible for the development of electronic automotive power for high temperature applications.
In order to keep abreast with customer demands in multiple countries, AlsoEnergy has recruited Kevin Suhr to its team as the leader for field service. Suhr joins AlsoEnergy after serving at Bella Energy where he was lead data monitoring, troubleshooting and service technician; a role where he installed and maintained data monitoring systems for various applications.
The chief operating officer of OPEL Solar has returned to retirement, citing the recent success and continued market growth the company has seen lately as his reason. Francisco Middleton came out of retirement in 2006 to develop the company’s HCPV technology and universal solar tracking systems.
MiaSolé noted that it had welcomed a new member to its executive management team with the selection of Richard Hossfeld as VP of global business development and sales. Hossfeld previously served as VP of business development for both First Solar and Fluidic Energy and holds experience in developing and leading market entry and go-to market strategies in North America, Asia and Latin America. Before his appointment at First Solar, Hossfeld was a corporate lawyer with Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
Glass industry veteran J. Patrick Thompson has joined New Energy Technologies’ board of advisors. Thompson is known for several business ventures, including Asahi Glass Company’s solar glass division, where he served as VP of the solar business unit. Thompson also worked in the plastics industry with GE Plastics, where he was awarded the organization’s MVP award for sales and marketing.
Victor Lee, executive director of TFG Radiant Group, will now serve as Ascent Solar Technologies’ president and CEO. TFG Radiant owns approximately 20% of the outstanding shares of Ascent and this past December agreed to purchase an additional 21% of the outstanding stock in a private transaction. Lee will remain as a board member for the company, but advised that he takes on the roles of president and CEO voluntarily and without any compensation.
Meyer Burger advised that it has appointed Dr. Patrick Hofer-Noser to the company’s newly created position – head of renewable energy systems. Hofer-Noser will oversee the renewable energy systems for Meyer Burger as it continues to expand its efforts in the cleantech energy industry.
SolarCity has appointed Toby Corey, co-founder and former president and COO of USWeb, as its new chief revenue officer. In his role at SolarCity, Corey will aim to change the ways in which consumers, businesses and government organizations convert to cleaner energy, at a lower cost, through the means of various integrated solutions.
Starting February 1, Bing Sun will officially begin his appointment as Daqo New Energy’s new chief financial officer. Sun joins the company after working as CFO for Shunda Holdings since June 2008. Previous work saw Sun as a financial controller at BCD Semiconductor, an audit manager at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and compliance manager at BAX Global. Sun has an MBA with a concentration in accounting and is a US certified public accountant.
MidAmerican Energy Holdings advised that its new division, MidAmerican Renewables, had been established to expand the company’s presence in the wind, geothermal, solar and hydro projects for the renewables market. The new division will be based in Des Moines, Iowa and will consist of MidAmerican Wind, MidAmerican Geothermal, MidAmerican Solar, MidAmerican Hydro and project development and commercial management.