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Swiss-based VHF-Technologies, better known under its product branding as Flexcell has stopped production of its flexible thin-film products and reduced its headcount to around 50. The move is designed to preserve cash, after being thrown a financial lifeline by Capricorn Capital to the tune of CHF8.5 million (US$8.9 million).
Swiss silicon thin-film firm, Pramac has been forced to file for insolvency after shareholders rejected management proposals over restructuring the company after posting losses (net) of over €94 million in 2011. The diversified firm had been a customer of Oerlikon Solar since 2008. Pramac had a 30MW end-to-end turnkey line using Oerlikon’s ‘Micromorph’ technology.
First generation PV thin-film adopters are falling like flies as Berlin-based Inventux files for bankruptcy. Inventux was a customer of Oerlikon Solar and an early adopter of its micromorph silicon turnkey technology. A temporary insolvency administrator has been appointed by the local court in Berlin-Charlottenburg, which is understood to be looking for new investors and secure some of the 200 jobs at risk at the company.
An auction planned for May 8, 2012 to flush out a buyer for Energy Conversion Devices (ECD), which is currently in Chapter 11 administration, has been withdrawn. The company has moved to layoff approximately 300 employees worldwide, beginning immediately. Hilco Industrial has been retained to begin preparations for an asset sale, suggesting flexible thin-film producer ECD could be finally wound down.
German-based companies involved in the supply of manufacturing equipment for the global solar industry had a record sales year in 2011, according to the latest report from trade association, VDMA. German equipment suppliers benefited from a focus on advanced cell technology that supported a global market share of 46% in 2011. However, overcapacity is impacting sales to major markets in Asia, particularly China, in 2012.
With approximately US$148 million in cash and investments, coupled to current assets valued at just over US$1.03 billion but debts of equivalent value, Chapter 11 refugee, Energy Conversion Devices is therefore primed for takeover or asset strip. Investment firm Salamon Group is the first to officially make a move in a tender offer for the company, though the deal would seem far removed from ECD managements goals of restructuring under Chapter 11.
The research team at Helmholz-Zentrum, Berlin, Germany, published last month that Beneq produced positive results on the performance of its thin-film PV solar cells manufactured with TCO-glass (transparent conductive oxide). Produced by Beneq nAERO technology, the results show that nAERO-coated TCO glass is a definite candidate for cell manufacturers in need of high-quality fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) TCO glass at an affordable price.
Expected to begin volume production of its flexible CIGS thin-film substrates later this year, SoloPower has installed Critical Manufacturing’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software at its production plant in Oregon. The MES provider also installed the cmNavigo MES Productivity Suite at the 400MW nameplate capacity plant.
A trio of companies is attempting to reduce the waste caused by wafer-sawing processes by growing crystalline silicon on relatively cheap foil. NREL has teamed up with DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and c-Si thin-film technology company Ampulse with the aim of lowering the cost of solar panels.
Updated: Oerlikon Group’s loss-making Oerlikon Solar, the originator of the turnkey thin-film business model with a-Si and tandem-junction thin-film technology, is being sold to Japan’s leading semiconductor equipment supplier, Tokyo Electron (TEL). Oerlikon is focusing on its other engineering divisions as part of revenue growth avenues. The deal is expected to be concluded over the next few months with more details to be provided on Monday when quarterly results are reported. Financial details were not disclosed. TEL had been a sales representative in Asia for the thin-film technology.
