SunbitsSass Peress – CEO of ICP Solar – Solar Blog

As many of those in the solar power industry would have read yesterday, ICP Solar has sold a majority stake in its UK thinfilm factory to ISE Solar LLC, a USA corporation with over 30 years of amorphous thin film manufacturing history.
Why now? Well frankly speaking, our strategy team reviewed developments in the thinfilm world and determined that this world is about to get far more competitive than ever before with entrants claiming up to 1Gigawatt of new capacity being brought online between now and 2010. So why stay in the “solar microchip” business when so much new capacity of increased efficiency and decreased cost technologies is coming onstream?
It all relates back to the “Apple of Solar” strategy we have publicized. ICP Solar fully intends now on focusing resources on customer application technologies, such as our rooftile project for which a substantive LOI has already been signed for Spain, and other such products. The divestiture of $2M USD of expense line actually means that even if our sales were to remain at last year’s levels, with our improved operations we would be profitable.
Fact is that it was time. Our team in Bridgend did a marvelous job of keeping that factory running and continuously improving its output. By staying minority holder, ICP Solar desired to continue to have access to this fine product, and which will be improving once again at the hands of Robert Stabinsky, a solar guru who put down thinfilm factories for companies such as BP Solar in the past.
Its not adios to the team in UK, yet it is a handoff which is a very important moment for me. Many people had predicted the demise of the factory long ago when we were hit by the chinese knockoffs, yet we survived and managed to improve its output by about 50% over the years. Kudos to a wonderful group of people in that little welsh town.
Sass

Ever wonder how the triangle of educational institutions, government and industry are working together towards the promotion of environmental technologies?
Apart from research initiatives, where the brightest minds work together to develop new technologies, the fact is that industry can become a giant vacuum which exerts pressure on the educational institutions to change their curricula adapting it to the needs of the future and opportunities for their students in new areas.
That’s why if you start to hear more and more about universitites giving courses and special curriculum for renewable energies. In fact, if you read this article you’ll see it as a call to more activity of this sort so that the brightest minds can begin to enter our stream in masses as they do any other industrial target.
So I googled “renewable energy university” and the results were outstanding. Many institutions around the world are picking up the call to begin educating our youth in these new technologies and opportunities. When we therefore hear of the “costs of Kyoto” by those governments who refuse to sign on, perhaps they would be better off thinking of the “opportunities of Kyoto” to create new industries in their countries. Yes, it means short term pain for long term gain, and for governments which are elected for four years or less, its hard to think long term (ie. beyong getting yourselves elected again!).
That is why true leaders stand out. It’s because their vision connects with people at a base level of honesty. It is rare that we find them and when we do, even if they were ridiculed while in office for whatever reason, time tends to show them to be what they are..visionaries who held true to their outlook for a better world.
ICP Solar was very involved with universities years ago and is again ramping up such involvement as a way to help our communities (which are now growing since we have added locations in Madrid and soon Southern California with the finalization of the purchase of Discover Power). A global effort to help the youth of the world get the “solar bug”!
Sass

Canadian provincial premiers are showing leadership in trying to come up with a unified, fluid energy policy across the country. It appears that many are envious of Ontario’s leading position which is soon to make it the “germany” of North America, perhaps even ahead of California.
It is amazing to me that the largest solar farm in the world would be announced in Canada and not Germany, California or Japan. Mind you, what do you do with a bunch of distressed land when the government will pay you $0.42 per kilowatthour for solar power? Distressed becomes impressed!
Good for you. Surely Prime Minister Harper may see that his oddly conservative approach in a day where fresh leadership is required, may in fact not help him win a majority in the next election. The climate and clean energy are sure to be two hot topics as candidates debate the economic strategies of the future.
Sass

Today we filed our annual report for the year ending January 31st, 2007. While this was not the best year in our history, it was a monumental one in terms of turning the boat around. After we were hit by a chinese tsunami of fake rated products (still alive and kicking yet being found out each day for what they are…) we began a turnaround strategy whose culmination is the best line of mobile 12V solar chargers in the world (Sunsei) and a great OEM and rooftile initiative which will begin to bear fruit later this year.
So the results you see below were only surprising in the fact that we were able to maintain sales despite a low supply of silicon and financing. Once we went public in the Fall, things really began to turnaround for us. The best is always yet to come, however just as our competition begins to copy even our colors, we have a few surprises in store!
See results at this link.
Sass