Rest in Peace: The List of Deceased Solar Companies, 2009 to 2013
Here’s an incomplete list of the solar firms that have fought the good fight, but have moved on:
2009 to 2010
Bankrupt, closed, acquired
Advent Solar (emitter wrap-through Si) acquired by Applied Materials
Applied Solar (solar roofing) acquired by Quercus Trust
OptiSolar (a-Si on a grand scale) closed
Ready Solar (PV installation) acquired by SunEdison
Solasta (nano-coaxial solar) closed
SV Solar (low-concentration PV) closed
Senergen (depositing silane onto free-form metallurgical-grade Si substrates) closed
Signet Solar (a-Si) bankrupt
Sunfilm (a-Si) bankrupt
Wakonda (GaAs) acquired by Siva
2011
Bankrupt, closed
EPV Solar (a-Si) bankrupt
Evergreen (drawn Si) bankrupt
Solyndra (CIGS) bankrupt
SpectraWatt (c-Si) bankrupt
Stirling Energy Systems (dish engine) bankrupt
Acquisition, sale
Ascent Solar (CIGS) acquired by TFG Radiant
Calyxo (CdTe) acquired by Solar Fields from Q-Cells
HelioVolt (CIGS) acquired by Korea’s SK Innovation
National Semiconductor Solar Magic (panel optimizers) exited systems business
NetCrystal (silicon on flexible substrate) acquired by Solar Semiconductor
Soliant (CPV) acquired by Emcore
2012
Bankrupt, closed
Abound Solar (CdTe) bankrupt
AQT (CIGS) closed
Ampulse (thin silicon) closed
Arise Technology (PV modules) bankrupt
Azuray (microinverters) closed
BP (c-Si panels) exits solar business
Centrotherm (PV manufacturing equipment) bankrupt and restructured
CSG (c-Si on glass) closed by Suntech
Day4 Energy (cell interconnects) delisted from TSX exchange
ECD (a-Si) bankrupt
Energy Innovations (CPV) bankrupt
Flexcell (a-Si roll-roll BIPV) closed
GlobalWatt (solar) closed
GreenVolts (CPV) closed
G24i (DSCs) bankrupt in 2012, re-emerged as G24i Power with new investors
Hoku (polysilicon) shut down its Idaho polysilicon production facility
Inventux (a-Si) bankrupt
Konarka (OSCs) bankrupt
Odersun (CIGS) bankrupt
Pramac (a-Si panels built with equipment from Oerlikon) insolvent
Pairan (Germany inverters) insolvent
Ralos (developer) bankrupt
REC Wafer (c-Si) bankrupt
Satcon (BoS) bankrupt
Schott (c-Si) exits c-Si business
Schuco (a-Si) shutting down its a-Si business
Sencera (a-Si) closed
Siliken (c-Si modules) closed
Skyline Solar (LCPV) closed
Siemens (CSP, inverters, BOS) divestment from solar
Solar Millennium (developer) insolvent
Solarhybrid (developer) insolvent
Sovello (Q-Cells, Evergreen, REC JV) bankrupt
SolarDay (c-Si modules) insolvent
Solar Power Industries (PV modules) bankrupt
Soltecture (CIGS BIPV) bankrupt
Sun Concept (developer) bankrupt
Acquisition, fire sale, restructuring
Oelmaier (Germany inverters) insolvent, bought by agricultural supplier Lehner Agrar
Q-Cells (c-Si) insolvent, acquired by South Korea’s Hanwha
Sharp (a-Si) backing away from a-Si, retiring 160 of its 320 megawatts in Japan
Solibro (CIGS) Q-Cells unit acquired by China’s Hanergy
Solon (c-Si) acquired by UAE’s Microsol
Scheuten Solar (BIPV) bankrupt, then acquired by Aikosolar
Sunways (c-Si, inverters) bought by LDK, restructuring to focus on BIPV and storage
2013
Bankrupt, closed
Array Converter (Module-level power electronics) bankrupt, IP to VC investor
Avancis (CIGS) discontinuing production
Bosch (c-Si PV module) exits module business
Concentrator Optics (CPV) bankrupt
Cyrium (CPV semiconductors) closed
Direct Grid (microinverters) closed
EiQ (Module-level power electronics) closed
GreenRay (microinverters) closed
Helios Solar (c-Si modules) bankrupt
Hoku Solar (silicon) bankrupt
Honda Soltec (CIGS thin-film modules) closing
Infinia (Stirling engine CSP) bankrupt
Nanosolar (CIGS) closed
Pythagoras Solar (BIPV) closed
Solarion (CIGS) went bankrupt but restructured and in limited production
SolFocus (CPV) bankrupt
Sunsil (module level electronics) closed
Suntech Wuxi (c-Si) bankrupt
Tioga (project developer) closed
Willard & Kelsey (CdTe panels) bankrupt
ZenithSolar (CHP) bankrupt
Acquired
Agile Energy (project developer) acquired by RES Americas
Bosch (c-Si PV module) acquired by SolarWorld
Diehl (Germany inverters) inverter division sold to PE firm mutares AG
Conergy (c-Si module) Astronergy, a part of China’s Chint Group, acquired Conergy’s PV module group
GE-Primestar (CdTe technology acquired from PrimeStar) First Solar acquired
Global Solar Energy (CIGS) acquired by Hanergy
Infinia (Stirling engine CSP) assets acquired by Israel’s Qnergy
MiaSolé (CIGS) acquired by China’s Hanergy
NuvoSun (CIGS) acquired by Dow
Suntech Wuxi (c-Si) acquired by Shunfeng Photovoltaic International for $492 million
Twin Creeks (kerfless Si) IP and other assets acquired by GT Advanced Technology
Wuerth Solar (installer) business turned over to BayWa
ZenithSolar (CHP) acquired by Suncore
Watch List
LDK Solar (c-Si) struggling to meet debt payments
Solar Junction (semiconductors for CPV) CEO departure amidst continued efforts to sell the firm
http://breakingenergy.com/2013/12/0...ist-of-deceased-solar-companies-2009-to-2013/