Tigo and AGA partner up for US solar energy joint venture

Tigo Energy and Architectural Glass & Aluminum Company (AGA) have come together on a joint venture for the production of solar energy to high-rise occupants. According to Globes Online, the companies received a grant from the US Department of Energy and the Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation. AGA will incorporate Tigo’s Energy Maximizer System into the solar panels it uses for its buildings with AGA furnishing the glass and silicon coatings and Tigo supplying the electronics to turn the glass into solar receivers.

COO Itzik Weinstein of Tigo stated to Globes that he believes that with the JV in its “alpha stage”, the two companies should be able to offer a commercial solution within a year. Furthermore, Tigo and AGA are looking to be able to provide apartment residents with the ability to create solar energy.
 
Currently, the US federal government gives a fixed 30% subsidy on the cost of a renewable energy project, including labour. Since the installation of solar panels can be classified as an expense for renewable energy, the project can be entitled for subsidies, as long as the covering is used to generate electricity from a renewable resource.

Due to the JV’s launch and orders from Europe, Tigo has opened an office in Japan and hired a business development manager that will be based in Germany. Tigo states that its orders and order backlogs, originating through letters of intent from the US, Europe and Japan, equal 100MW for the next year with an estimated $20 million in sales for 2010.

Weinstein concluded that in order for Tigo to keep up with the 100MW demand, the company will be investigating production lines in China that will have the ability of an industrial-scale production line.