PV Module Manufacturer Solyndra Shuts Down Factory, Declares Bankruptcy
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Solyndra LLC, a Fremont, Calif.-based manufacturer of solar products for commercial rooftops, says it is suspending manufacturing operations.The company plans to file a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code while it evaluates options, including a sale of the business and licensing of its copper indium gallium diselenide technology and manufacturing techniques.
As a result of the suspension of operations, approximately 1,100 full-time and temporary employees are being laid off.Solyndra says that despite a number of orders for its product on large commercial rooftops, it was unable to achieve full-scale operations rapidly enough to compete in the near term against the resources of larger foreign manufacturers.
The competitive challenge was exacerbated by a global oversupply of solar panels and a severe compression of prices that, in part, resulted from uncertainty in governmental incentive programs in Europe and the decline in credit markets that finance solar systems, the company adds."Regulatory and policy uncertainties in recent months created significant near-term excess supply and price erosion," says Brian Harrison, CEO and president of Solyndra. "Raising incremental capital in this environment was not possible. This was an unexpected outcome and is most unfortunate."
Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) is reopening the application period for its 2011 solar rebate program to distribute approximately $5 million in remaining funds. Applications can be submitted at FPL's website starting at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 30.Rebates will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and funds are expected to run out quickly, FPL says. The application process for the 2011 rebates first opened on June 29, and customers claimed reservations for the available solar PV funds in less than an hour.Rebates for solar water heating are also still available, FPL adds.
Daqo New Energy Corp., a polysilicon manufacturer based in China, plans to adopt hydrochlorination technology for the conversion of silicon tetrachloride into trichlorosilane (TCS) at its Wanzhou polysilicon manufacturing facility.The adoption of the hydrochlorination technology is expected to increase the annual TCS production capability in the company's Wanzhou facility to 220,000 metric tons (MT). In the meantime, the company will retrofit its current hydrogenation furnaces into TCS deposition furnaces.The technology implementation project is scheduled to begin in October, with targeted mechanical completion in the third quarter of 2012. When this project is completed, the company will expand its annual polysilicon manufacturing capacity from the current 4,300 MT to 9,000 MT.The total capital expenditure for the project is expected to be approximately $135 million.
Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives LLC (IEA) has acquired White Construction Inc., a renewable energy contractor. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.White Construction will remain based in Clinton, Ind., with Buddy White joining the board of IEA and continuing as the president of White Construction. In addition, the White family will acquire a material ownership interest in IEA. The GFI Energy Group -along with IEA management - will provide the equity capital for this and future acquisitions.Find out more?12v 10ah lithium battery