Soitec to scale back US CPV operations after 150MW project falters

December 23, 2014
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

CPV producer Soitec said a 150MW CPV power plant previously announced would be scrapped as the customer, San Diego Gas & Electric was said to have encountered a “major roadblock” in developing the project. 

Soitec said in a statement: “Certain of the administrative conditions pertaining to the transaction could not be fulfilled timely. Soitec will therefore not receive the expected CPV systems order from the designated EPC contractor which was anticipated to leverage its US cost base.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

As a result if the cancelled project, Soitec said it would scale back its CPV module assembly operations in San Diego facility, while pursuing new business opportunities in the US. 

Soitec said that its project pipeline for the 2015-2016 fiscal year was around 70MW in sales. The company expects to announce an impairment charge in order to reflect on the adjusted US pipeline of projects.

In April, 2014 Soitec lost a CPV deal with Tenaska Solar Ventures when a planned 150MW PV power plant in Imperial Valley, California was completely switched to conventional PV modules. 

At the time, Soitec said that its San Diego assembly plant would not be affected by the lost order as it supported its global CPV project business.

The company also noted that its 44MW CPV plant built in South Africa successfully completed all requested testing procedures and had received confirmation from the South African utility, Eskom for the final commissioning of the plant, which we trigger final payment for the plant. 

Read Next

January 21, 2026
Yield Energy has launched Yield Edge, a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) for grid-ready flexibility from farms.
January 21, 2026
Total corporate funding in the solar PV industry reached US$22.2 billion in 2025, a 16% year-on-year decrease.
Premium
January 21, 2026
To say that it has been a busy time for the US solar industry lately would be an understatement, especially at the policy and tariff level.
January 21, 2026
Solar polysilicon manufacturer United Solar Holding has secured over US$900 million in financing for its polysilicon plant in Oman.
January 21, 2026
LONGi Green, Tongwei, JA Solar, TCL Zhonghuan and Aiko Solar are projecting a combined 2025 deficit of RMB28.9-32.8 billion (US$4.1-4.7 billion).
January 21, 2026
Without quality control, even expensive, high-precision radiometers can generate misleading data, according to Solargis' Marcel Suri.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
October 13, 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA