Photo Credit: last time we get to use this photo
I was somewhat wrong when I pronounced CIGS firm Nanosolar deceased back in July.
It turns out that the German part of Nanosolar was acquired by Smartenergy Renewable and has been rechristened "Smartenergy Renewables Deutschland GmbH."
But no CIGS thin-film solar remains in the equation.
The new company will now be a crystalline silicon module assembly, a building-integrated PV manufacturer, and an O&M firm, claiming advantage in vertical integration. And manufacturing in Germany.
The company will continue to support existing CIGS customers.
“The high vertical integration will allow the group to capture incremental profit margins along the entire PV value chain,” imagined Horst H. Mahmoudi, Executive Chairman, in a release.
Christian Pho Duc, the Managing Director of this new venture, was VP of sales at Nanosolar and previously served as VP of European Sales for Solyndra. Mirco Boldt, previously of Nanosolar, is also Managing Director.
Nanosolar, founded in 2002, printed CIGS inks in a metal wrap-through architecture on aluminum foil in a roll-to-roll process with the aim of producing low-cost, high-efficiency, flexible solar panels.
Nanosolar produced a total of less than 50 megawatts, despite raising more than $400 million from investors including MDV, Benchmark Capital, EDF Group, Firelake Capital Management, GLG Partners, Grazia Equity, Lone Pine Capital, Mitsui & Co., Riverstone Holdings, SAC Capital, Swiss Re and U.S. Venture Partners.
Martin Roscheisen was Nanosolar's founding CEO through 2010. Here's Roscheisen's version of Nanosolar history.
Currently, the only CIGS vendor of commercial consequence is Solar Frontier.