Calisolar has bought 6N Silicon, in a stock-for-stock transaction between the two privately held companies. In addition to the acquisition, $22.5 million in funding was raised from existing Calisolar and 6N investors, according to the companies. The new funds will be used to increase capacity at Calisolar's Sunnyvale, CA, UMG-grade silicon photovoltaic cell manufacturing facility and expand silicon purification operations in Vaughan, ON, where 6N will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company.
Matheson Tri-Gas and Rasirc have signed an exclusive distributor agreement, in which the gas company will distribute the equipment manufacturer's purification and delivery systems for controlled humidification and ultrapure steam generation throughout the United States.
SBM Solar says it has become the first company to earn UL certification on its nonglass, rigid, crystalline-silicon photovoltaic modules. The panels are encapsulated with a non-EVA-based thermoplastic material developed by Dow Chemical.
Israeli solar energy developer Arava Power has signed long-term deals with 15 agricultural cooperatives to build midsize photovoltaic installations at an investment of 2 billion shekels ($533 million), according to Reuters. The power plants will total 100MW and will average 6.5MW per field. Total investment is said to be 2 billion shekels ($544 million).
1366 Technologies has closed venture capital funding worth $5.15 million, bringing the total amount raised by the silicon photovoltaics developer to $17.55 million. The round was led by returning investors Polaris and North Bridge Venture Partners.
Trina Solar has signed an agreement with German systems integrator AE Photonics to supply 40MW of crystalline-silicon photovoltaic modules in 2010. The terms of the deal call for 20MW to be shipped during the first half of the year by the vertically integrated Chinese solar manufacturer, with agreed prices for the first quarter. First shipments began in January.
Cylindrical thin-film PV manufacturer Solyndra has signed a new distribution agreement with Allied Building Products, a leading U.S. distributor of roofing, solar and other building products and materials. Allied will be the CIGS solar company's first North American distributor.
Solyndra has tapped former First Solar executive John Gaffney as its new senior VP of corporate development and general counsel. He will lead the CIGS thin-film PV company's legal and corporate development activities and will report to CEO Chris Gronet.
In the latest move by a solar manufacturer to take advantage of the lucrative feed-in tariffs in Ontario, the Siliken Group plans to build a crystalline-silicon photovoltaics module production plant in the Canadian province. Set for an initial capacity of 50MW, the factory could start operations in the last quarter of this year and create as many as 150 jobs, according to the Spanish firm.
Soliant Energy has brought Marco DeMiroz back on board as its chief operating officer and chief financial officer. DeMiroz, who served as the concentrator photovoltaics company's interim CEO last year, will report to chairman/CEO Terry Bailey.
