Smartenergy Names New Leaders, Upgrades Solar Factory

Smartenergy Renewables AG has completed the conversion and upgrade of its crystalline solar panel manufacturing facility in Luckenwalde, Germany, and is aiming for a maximum capacity of 120 MW.

Meanwhile, the company has hired two new executives and named a new board member. Dr. Stefan Parhofer, former CEO of Gehrlicher Solar USA, was named chief project officer; Werner Matuschek will manage the company’s panel operations; and Dr. Erik Oldekop, formerly in charge of renewable energy investments at aeris Capital AG, was appointed to the board of directors.

The 295-W utility panels manufactured at the Luckenwalde facilty are based on a glass/glass panel design. The hermetic edge seal of the solar panels eliminates induced degradation losses and ensures a longer lifetime, and its frameless construction dramatically reduces soiling losses, the company said.

Smartenergy Renewables acquired the factory from U.S.-based Nanosolar Inc. in July 2013. To date, 1.9 MW of the utility panels manufactured there have been installed in a solar park in southern Germany.

For more information, visit www.smartenergy.net.