Manz Automation took a heavy hit from the fall in equipment sales in the solar and LCD industries in 2009. Revenue for 2009 was €85.9 million, down sharply from €236.5 million in 2008. Cost cutting measures limited losses to €15.9 million. Manz Automation saw fourth quarter sales jump sharply as a recovery in the PV industry netted sales of €39.2 million (previous year: €77.4 million), accounting for 45.6% of the total annual revenues. Order book stood at €40 million in mid-December 2009, but has increased to €70 million as of February 28, 2010, according to the company. Manz said that it expects a return to double digit growth in 2010.
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film module manufacturer Abound Solar has received IEC certification from TÜV Rheinland Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory as well as certification by Underwriters Laboratory and the California Energy Commission, meeting UL, IEC, CEC, and CE requirements for its AB1 series of PV modules. As a result, the company can sell its products in the U.S. and across Europe.
Hit by the global recession and weak solar equipment market in 2009, Singulus Technologies posted total revenue of €116.6 million for the business year 2009, compared to €212.1 million in 2008, approximately a 45% decline, year-on-year. Its solar business segment posted revenue of €36 million, down slightly from €37.9 million in 2008. However, 2009 results included the consolidated revenue of Stangl Semiconductor Equipment, which it recently acquired.
Product Briefing Outline: OK International has developed a proprietary ‘SmartHeat’ Technology, which consists of a high frequency alternating current (AC) power supply and a self regulating heating element. The heater utilizes the electrical and metallurgical characteristics of two different metals: copper, and a magnetic material with high resistivity to reduce micro-cracking of solar cell substrates during the soldering operation.
In brief statements from several of the partners in string-ribbon PV module producer Sovello, the firms acknowledged that an agreement has been made to sell the company to Ventizz Capital Fund IV, L.P for an as-yet undisclosed sum. Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in April. The partners had signed a declaration of intent with the then-unidentified investor in early February.
The Intel Corp spin-off, SpectraWatt has raised a further US$41.4 million from investors that include Intel Capital and Goldman Sachs. The start-up plans to start shipping solar cells in 2Q10. The company said that some of the new funds will help finalize completion of the company's factory, advance internal operations and technology development as well as allow for planned capacity expansions.
Taiwan-based c-Si solar cell producer, Neo Solar Power (NSP) is expanding annual capacity to 800MW in response to continued outsourcing demand from Europe. NSP currently has an annual capacity of over 240MW. The cell producer had already made initial plans to boost capacity by a further 180MW by the second quarter of 2010, due to running at full capacity in the fourth quarter of 2009. Strong demand and extended visibility into it 2010 order flow pushed NSP to raise capacity plans to 600MW in 2010. However, continued demand from European module manufacturers has led NSP to take capacity to 800MW in 2010.
Product Briefing Outline: Due to technology partnerships and longtime experience RENA has been able to optimize the handling and process sequence for the complete process chain after wafer sawing with its ‘Wafer Line’ system. With this complete system, 200MW production per annum is possible.
A new partnership has been formed that will offer self-aligned cell technology from 1366 Technologies via RENA's wet processing technology. 1366's proprietary honeycomb-structured texture to the cell production process is claimed to boost cell efficiency. The texture can be used on both mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline wafers.
GCL-Poly has announced 2009 financial results and detailed a major effort to diversify operations and move downstream into wafer and solar project development. Revenue from the sale of polysilicon and wafers amounted to RMB 2,537.1 million (US$371.6 million) and and RMB 262.3 million (US$38.4 million respectively. GCL-Poly was able to produce 7,454MT of polysilicon in 2009 and sold 5,675MT as well as 46.4MW of wafers via tolling arrangements. Average selling price for polysilicon was US$65.4 per kg and US$0.83/W for wafers. As the company ramped polysilicon production and benefited from improved economies of scale, production costs declined significantly from US$66.0 per kg in 2008 to US$39.4 per kg in 2009.
