Sunways terminates Polysilicon and Solar Silicon efforts

Solarvalue: Second Ruše Surprise

It’s been 179 days since my last Solarvalue AG (FRA:SV7) post. I hinted at a Ruše Surprise repeat in my last post, Solarvalue produces Solar Grade Silicon sample material. My hint became truth with “Solarvalue reorganizes planning cycle; Deferment in industrial production ramp up” (Deutsch) earlier this month.

Key points from the production deferment press release include:

• Solarvalue now plans to build a test furnace enabling delivery of some hundred kilogram samples to potential customers.
• John Mott said: “To reduce

Solarvalue produces Solar Grade Silicon sample material

The sample material is about four to five months later than expected.

In Solarvalue Achieves Important Milestone for Silicon Feedstock Production (Deutsch), Solarvalue AG (FRA:SV7) claimed:

its Silicon Feedstock Pilot Facility located in the United States is now fully operational and that silicon has successfully been processed and purified. Initial analysis show that the innovative process using tailor made equipment is able to reduce impurities by using unidirectional solidification.

This milestone was achieved about two months after the “Small scale production laboratory”, morphed into the “Silicon Feedstock Pilot Facility”, began operations as described in the previous post, Solarvalue AG Solar Grade Silicon sample Lab “Oratory”.

Here

Solarvalue AG Solar Grade Silicon sample Lab “Oratory”

Solarvalue issues Annual Report for 2007: Small scale production laboratory starts operations – prove of process abiliy initiated (Deutsch) was the news yesterday, February 28, 2008, from Solarvalue AG (FRA:SV7).

Solarvalue AG Chairman and CEO Claudia Boehringer said:

In the last few months we have built our own laboratory size production facility in the US. This facility has recently started operations directed at testing metallurgical grade silicon from a variety of potential suppliers, as well as evaluating the ability of the Solarvalue production process to refine this purchased silicon into solar grade silicon in our Slovenia plant

Solar Light Flashes: December 31, 2007

Select Photovoltaic News Tidbits

In this final Solar Light Flashes of 2007, I need to catch up on accumulated tidbits I’ve collected over the past few months.

Advent Solar, Inc.If recent events at Miasolé regarding former CEO David Pearce are the precedent (see Former Miasolé Employees Confirm Cuts by Jennifer Kho at Greentech Media), then Advent Solar Appoints Peter Green as new President and CEO, tends to indicate Rusty Schmit’s days with Advent may be numbered despite the claim:

Company founder Rusty Schmit will remain a member of the Board of Directors in an active role focused on strategic initiatives and will be working with Peter to ensure a smooth transition.

This development also

Solarvalue AG Analyst Conference at the 8. Forum Solarpraxis

Sample me this? Production risks are back end loaded.Sunways CEO Roland Burkhardt’s take on Solarvalue.

First, let’s cover what went well at the Solarvalue AG (XETRA:SV7) Analyst Conference. As you can see in the above photo, the conference had good analyst attendance including man about solar Jesse Pichel, Vice President and Sr. Research Analyst, PiperJaffray. Maximillian Fischer, Solarvalue Investor Relations, provided a short overview and was followed by Solarvalue CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Dr. Julio Bragagnolo. Alas, from here things did not always go up and to the right.

Solar Grade Silicon (SGS) lab samples

Solarvalue should deliver SGS lab sample material on the order of 10’s of kilograms

Solarvalue and Sunways to cooperate on solar cell development

With many years of accumulated expertise in monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon solar cell development and processing, Sunways AG (FRA:SWW) is a stronger research and development partner for Solarvalue AG (XETRA:SV7) than Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Limited (MBPV). MBPV is focused on bringing up turnkey silicon solar cell production lines at the current time.

Here are the dueling company press releases: Sunways and Solarvalue enter into cooperation agreement for the production and processing of solar silicon (Deutsch) or Cooperation between Solarvalue and Sunways (Deutsch).

Sunways said the following:

Ruše Surprise: Solarvalue delays Solar Grade Silicon production

Mass Production slips to first half of 2008

As I mentioned in Solarvalue AG: Why has the stock declined?, I have been expecting a major announcement from Solarvalue AG (XETRA:SV7) regarding full scale production, new customers, or sample material qualification. Given the plan of record has been 850 MT (metric tons) of Solar Grade Silicon production by the end of 2007, today’s announcement represents a production delay of up to three quarters. Here is the press release, Solarvalue AG to launch mass production in the first term of 2008 – First samples in progress (Deutsch). A revised Solar Grade Silicon production target for 2008 is not mentioned in this press release.

I

Solarvalue AG: Why has the stock declined?

Ever since Solarvalue goes “Back to the Future” with Moser Baer Photo Voltaic partnership, Solarvalue shares have been driven upward by occasional news and over enthusiastic speculation. Reports like this one from April 10, 2007, Solarvalue keine Stücke aus der Hand geben (Solarvalue don’t sell a single share) helped fuel the stock, but I doubt this was intended to prevent shareholders from selling at €90!

Both an investment from Gartmore in Solarvalue pulls a Secondary and Solarvalue secures TDR Facility for Solar Grade Silicon Production were the latest news moving the stock to its all time high. In other company news

Solarvalue secures TDR Facility for Solar Grade Silicon Production

On the heels of Solarvalue AG: Financial Measures Ensure Further Growth (Deutsch) announcing an increase of share capital by 210,000 shares, Solarvalue AG (XETRA:SV7) subsidiary Solarvalue Proizvodnja d.d. has purchased a significant portion of the TDR factory in Ruše, Slovenia, larger than the previous lease back arrangement. Solarvalue also took on over sixty (60) TDR employees. See the press release Solarvalue Buys Production Plant in Slovenia (Deutsch) for the official announcement. Solarvalue AG holds 60% of the Solarvalue Proizvodnja d.d. shares, and Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Limited (MBPV) holds the balance of 40%.