GERMANS BUY TOLEDO SUN

Perrysburg, Ohio, is not known for its sunny climate. Yet its entrepreneurial innovation has now spawned 2 solar businesses that are taking a place on the world solar industry stage. Much of the inspiration comes from work at the nearby University of Toledo.

There was a time before globalization when they used to call that “the American Dream.” Now they call it “taking care of business” and they do it everywhere from Mumbai to Shanghai to – Toledo.

Then there’s Germany. With the solar saturation (called “insolation”) of Anchorage, Alaska, it leads the world in solar development and has spawned solar giants like Q-Cell. How can that be? In a word, leadership. Germany has programs that seriously incentivize New Energy growth.

Perrysburg’s Solar Field bought by German concern
Gary T. Pakulski, November 6, 2007 (Toledo Blade)

WHO
Solar Fields LLC (Norm Johnston, CEO), Q-Cells AG, First Solar Inc., Toledo industrialist/glass-manufacturing pioneer Harold McMaster

Why Q-Cells wanted Solar Fields: Solar Fields specializes in thin film solar production. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Q-Cells is buying Solar Fields, a 9-employee solar research company, for $5 million plus 7% of a Q-Cells subsidiary, Calyxo GmbH. The employees will now work for Calyxo USA Inc., which will own and develop Solar Fields’ patents.

WHEN

WHERE
- Solar Fields LLC is based in Perrysburg, Ohio.
- Q-Cells AG is based in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany.

WHY
- First Solar is the largest US producer of thin film solar, widely considered the “next big thing” in solar technology. Early on, the company was backed by McMaster and by Wal-Mart heirs.
- Solar Fields, which primarily does research, has developed machinery for the mass production of thin film. CEO Johnston invented a panel-coating technology. Solar Fields is financed by McMaster’s widow, Helen.
- Q-Cells is the 2nd biggest solar panel maker in the world andhas recently been expanding into thin film. Its production is up 42% in 2007 and its revenues are expected to be $1.2 billion for the year.

Schematic of the cadmium telluride thin film material Solar Fields specializes in. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Stefan Dietrich, Q-Cells spokesman: "Q-Cells has the broadest technology portfolio in the industry…"
- Robert Collins, director, University of Toledo’s Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization: "Solar Fields has made some impressive accomplishments in terms of low-cost [manufacturing methods]…”