cadmium

Abound Solar has secured $510 million to ramp up production of its thin-film solar panels and compete in the cut-throat pricing of the global solar photovoltaics industry.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu is scheduled to host a conference call today with Abound Solar CEO Tom Tiller to announce that the Fort Collins, Colo.-based company has finalized a $400 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. It also raised $110 million in equity from existing private investors, one of the requirements for getting the loan.

With the money, Abound Solar can boost production to 200 megawatts a year by 2012 … Read more

Silicon Valley solar company Solexant has raised $41.5 million to pursue technology it says can slice the costs of solar power with a printing-like manufacturing process.

The company's technology, which was developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, takes raw semiconductor material and creates nanoparticles which, once dissolved in a solvent, creates an ink that can be printed.

Initially, it plans to use cadmium telluride to make solar cells, but in the future it hopes to use materials more efficient at converting sunlight into electrical energy, said CEO Damoder Reddy on Friday.

Solexant has been operating a pilot facility … Read more

General Electric, which has long made solar panels using traditional silicon, is converting to thin-film cells, using the same material as industry cost leader First Solar.

The company's research organization on Thursday detailed its activities with cadmium telluride solar cells, which the company has determined offers the most potential to lower solar power costs.

As first reported by CNET, GE's next-generation solar panels are based on technology from PrimeStar Solar, a Denver, Colo.-based company where GE is the majority owner. GE executives are bullish that by lowering costs, solar can grow rapidly, as its wind business has … Read more

First Solar exceeded expectations once again in its most recent quarter and told investors that revenue for 2008 would likely come in at $975 million to $1.05 billion, higher than the $900 million to $950 million range provided earlier.

The company--which specializes in cadmium telluride solar cells--reported revenue of $196.9 million for the first three months of the year, more than double the $66.9 million in revenue garnered in the first quarter of 2007. Net income went to $46.6 million, or 57 cents a share, well above the $5 million for the first quarter of 2007. … Read more

First Solar, the fast-growing maker of a type of solar panel that's a big source of debate among those in the clean-tech world, surprised investors again by reporting revenues and earnings that far exceeded expectations, capping a year of unusually strong growth.

The Phoenix-based company, which uses a material whose cost effectiveness is up for debate, said revenues came to $200.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2007 while net income came to $62.9 million, or 77 cents per share. Analysts had expected revenue of $180 million and earnings per share of 53 cents. For the fourth … Read more

First Solar, which makes cadmium-telluride solar cells, is having one of those years that corporate managers and investors dream about.

Revenues more than tripled in the third quarter to $159 million from a year ago while profits rose to $46 million, or about ten times what they were the year before. Plant expansion is occurring rapidly and the company's stock has gone from $20 to over $200 in a year. The stock price seems vastly inflated when you look at traditional price-earnings ratios, but it's not the first time people have bet big on a growth stock. It'… Read more

It's official. First Solar is the Google of solar companies.

The Phoenix, Ariz.-based maker of cadmium telluride solar cells and panels has soared past the $200 a share mark. It was up to $230 today and is currently trading at about $219.

Remarkably, First Solar had an initial public offering in the middle of November 2006. The stock went out at $20 a share, so effectively, it has gone up in value by 11 times in a little less than a year. Google went out at $85 a few years ago and is now above $700. The numbers … Read more

First Solar, those cadmium telluride oddballs, is on the move again.

The company said this week that it has signed a deal to supply Babcock & Brown with solar modules in a deal that will bring it a $1 billion in revenue between 2008 and 2009. Overall, First has contracts to install over 3 gigawatts of power through 2012.

To meet demand for the project, the company's board has approved a fourth manufacturing plant in Malaysia. Two are under construction, and the company announced a third manufacturing plant in April. Each plant will have four manufacturing lines. When up … Read more