DEGERenergie has hired several new key personnel to its international offices in order to better serve, and build better relationships, with its customers. Customers in Germany and other European countries will now be serviced by Hendrik Walter and Steffen Bahlinger.
The US Department of Energy’s (DoE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has appointed Ken Powers as its new deputy laboratory director and chief operating officer, effective March 5.
MiaSolé noted that it had welcomed a new member to its executive management team with the selection of Richard Hossfeld as VP of global business development and sales. Hossfeld previously served as VP of business development for both First Solar and Fluidic Energy and holds experience in developing and leading market entry and go-to market strategies in North America, Asia and Latin America. Before his appointment at First Solar, Hossfeld was a corporate lawyer with Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
Victor Lee, executive director of TFG Radiant Group, will now serve as Ascent Solar Technologies’ president and CEO. TFG Radiant owns approximately 20% of the outstanding shares of Ascent and this past December agreed to purchase an additional 21% of the outstanding stock in a private transaction. Lee will remain as a board member for the company, but advised that he takes on the roles of president and CEO voluntarily and without any compensation.
SolarCity has appointed Toby Corey, co-founder and former president and COO of USWeb, as its new chief revenue officer. In his role at SolarCity, Corey will aim to change the ways in which consumers, businesses and government organizations convert to cleaner energy, at a lower cost, through the means of various integrated solutions.
The tragic death of Amonix CEO Brian Robertson late last year has led to Jan van Dokkum, an executive with venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, becoming interim CEO of the concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar systems company. The Board of Directors at Amonix said it had enlisted an executive search firm and has established a search committee for the selection and appointment of a new CEO.
A former vice president at Q-Cells, Matthias Altieri has joined UK-based merchant bank, ThomasLloyd Group to run its solar energy funding operations as managing director. The appointment was made at the beginning of December, 2011. In his new capacity, Mr Altieri will be responsible for sourcing new business both in the provision of technology and in the sourcing of new development opportunities.
India’s Prime Minister has appointed Anil Kakodkar as the new head of his government’s solar programme. Kakodkar, who is also a member of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and previously led India’s nuclear programme, was unveiled as chairman of the recently launched Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech at the Indian Science Congress.
New Energy Technologies advised that it had appointed Dr. Scott Hammond as principal scientist and Dr. Christopher Harris to its board of advisors. Both Hammond and Harris join New Energy from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which has been partnering with New Energy through a cooperative research and development agreement for the advancement of the company’s SolarWindow technology.
AU Optronics (AUO) has appointed Paul Peng as its new president. Peng will start his new role on January 1, 2012 and is replacing Dr. L. J. Chen, who will now serve as AUO’s president of solar business operation. AUO hopes that its management reshuffle will improve the competitiveness of its products and technologies and in turn profitability.
