Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Japan cedes solar power lead to Germany; China closing gap

Kyodo News

Germany's solar power output was about twice that of Japan in 2006, according to a recent study conducted by a research organization.

Japan had long been a forerunner in solar power. But in 2005, Germany unseated Japan as the world's largest solar power generating country and the gap in output between the two is widening, according to the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies.

The results of the study by ISEP also suggests Japanese companies, which still control about 50 percent of the world's production of solar power generators, are facing increasingly tough competition from German and Chinese manufacturers.

"Japan's solar power generation will further fall behind other countries if we don't drastically review current energy policies," said Tetsunari Iida, executive director of the nonprofit research body.

Germany's output stood at 3.06 million kilowatts at the end of 2006, increasing by 1.15 million kw from the previous year, ISEP said.

In contrast, Japanese output last year grew by only 250,000 kw, or less than one-fourth of the growth in Germany, to total 1.67 million kw, the research body said.

Sharp Corp. is the world's top maker of solar power generators, with a 30 percent market share. But it did not see much of an increase in production volume from 2005 to 2006, while German and Chinese rivals showed a rapid expansion during the same period, ISEP said.

ISEP's Iida said the Japanese law requiring power firms to generate a certain amount of electricity by using new energy is not functioning.

In fiscal 1994, the government introduced subsidies for individuals purchasing solar power units. This helped the country become and stay the leading solar power country. But in fiscal 2005, the subsidies ended.

AU alumnus to preside at opening of plant in China

6/19/07

Dr. Joel Moskowitz, a 1961 graduate of Alfred University, long-time member of its Board of Trustees, and founder of Ceradyne, Inc., will preside a ceremonies marking the opening of a 98,000-square-foot factory in Tianjin, the People's Republic of China, Wednesday (June 20, 2007).

The plant, which will be owned and operated by Ceradyne Technical Ceramics, will manufacture silica ceramic crucibles to be used in the manufacture of solar cells that will, in turn, allow "our customers… to produce 'clean and green' electricity in China and elsewhere," said Moskowitz.

"We believe this first Ceradyne manufacturing plant will be the beginning of a series of factories in China designed to manufacture advanced technical ceramics for a wide variety of solar, industrial and commercial applications,"Moskowitz noted. "We intend to use this modern factory as the base for additional manufacturing."

He said Ceradyne, Inc., the parent company, hopes to build additional manufacturing capacity in China to serve developing markets there. Once that demand has been met, he said, then Ceradyne Technical Ceramics will begin to address exports.

In his prepared remarks, Moskowitz notes the company's "intention is to fund these capital expenditures with cash generated by Ceradyne with no debt. We plan to have our factory run and managed by Chinese citizens. We are very pleased with long-time Ceradyne executive Ms. Lu Ning, and our Tianjin General Manager Dr. Shuhai Wang, who, coincidentally did his post-doctoral work at Alfred University in technical ceramics. This University, located in New York State, is the same school I graduated from many years ago in 1961, having studied technical ceramics."

In closing, Moskowitz will tell his guests, "We believe China is a major opportunity for us. We will invest capital and introduce advanced technical ceramics in China using this Tianjin facility as a base. We plan to hire Chinese employees and be a profitable, worthy, responsible corporate citizen."

Deli Solar (USA), Inc. Raises $2.75 Million in Private Financing

Posted : Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:04:00 GMT

NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Deli Solar (USA), Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: DLSL.OB) , a substantial seller of hot water and space heating devices in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today announced that on June 14, 2007 it raised $2.75 million in a private placement from the sale of Series A Preferred Stock and Warrants with Barron Partners L.P. as the lead investor investing $2.55 million. The investors purchased an aggregate of (i) 1,774,194 shares of Series A Preferred Stock (ii) five year warrants to purchase 1,774,194 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price $1.90 per share, and (iii) five year warrants to purchase an additional 1,774,194 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.40 per share. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible into one share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment. Additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock (not to exceed 900,000) are required to be issued to the investors in the event that the Company fails to achieve certain income targets for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008.

For more information about the terms of this financing please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K being filed with the SEC on June 19, 2007.

About Deli Solar (USA), Inc.

Deli Solar (USA), Inc. is a domestic holding company owning all the equity capital of Bazhou Deli Solar Energy Heating Co. Ltd. and Beijing Deli Solar Technology Development Co., Ltd., located in the People's Republic of China. It is a substantial seller of hot water and space heating devices to customers in the PRC. Deli Solar (USA), Inc.