Soitec enters solar industry with Concentrix buy
Soitec notes that its technologies in engineered substrates are key to improving solar cell performance and therefore complement Concentrix's work in concentrated photovoltaic systems for solar power plants.
By Suzanne Deffree, Managing editor news -- EDN, December 11, 2009
The Soitec Group, a supplier of engineered substrates for the microelectronics industry, today announced it will acquire privately held Concentrix Solar GmbH, a provider of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar systems.
The move offers Soitec its entrance into the solar industry. Soitec noted that its technologies in engineered substrates are key to improving solar cell performance and therefore complement Concentrix’s work in CPV systems for solar power plants.
Soitec described Concentrix's technology as one that by means of Fresnel lenses converts sunlight, concentrated almost 500 times, directly into electrical energy to achieve AC system efficiencies of 25%. For manufacturing the concentrator modules, Concentrix operates a fully automated industrial production line with an annual production capacity of 25 megawatts located in Freiburg, Germany, Soitec said.
“The Concentrix solution, which we believe is the best for solar farms and therefore industrial production of solar-sourced electricity, has exceptional synergy with Soitec technologies,” said André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé, president and CEO of Soitec, in a statement. “This acquisition represents an exciting and natural expansion for Soitec into the fast-growing solar market, allowing us to leverage our technology and process knowledge in the development of high-performance and cost-competitive photovoltaic solutions up to the system level.”
Additionally, the transaction includes access to the high-efficiency concentrator solar cell technologies from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, the company from which Concentrix spun off of in 2005.
Soitec also announced today that it has signed a strategic technology alliance with both Fraunhofer ISE and the CEA-Leti. The agreement with Fraunhofer ISE, one of the largest solar energy research institutes in Europe with more than 20 years of experience in III-V solar cell development, sees Soitec enter a long-term license agreement regarding the know-how and technology related to the manufacturing of concentrator cells. Both partners are going to develop the next generation of CPV solar cells based on Soitec’s proprietary technologies. The collaboration includes CEA-Leti, Soitec’s long-time partner within the Grenoble R&D cluster.
Soitec has acquired approximately 80% of Concentrix’s shares, valuing 100% of Concentrix at about $80.4 million (€55 million). The remaining 20% of the shares continue to be owned by the Fraunhofer ISE and the company’s founders and senior management.
Upon closing of the transaction, Concentrix will retain its 60-person staff and will operate within a new photovoltaic business unit of Soitec.
