• Thursday, January 29, 2009 Latest Update: 6:29AM

Greentech Solar

Ausra Update: Layoffs and Change of Business Plans Confirmed

The solar thermal company has confirmed that it laid off about 10 percent of its staff in January, though reports from employees say the company began layoffs in December.

On Monday, Ausra execs called up to confirm and clarify and earlier story we wrote about their layoffs.

The solar thermal company confirmed it laid off about 10 percent of its staff, a spokeswoman said Monday. The layoffs occurred in January (laid off employees told us they began in December.) At the same time, she said the company is changing business plans. While it still plans to complete the solar thermal project it has with PG&E, it will now become an equipment supplier rather than a power producer. Since then, the company's been trying to schedule a meeting with us to further explain its change in lifestyle.

In short, it will sell its mirrors, pipes and steam-capture equipment to coal mines and food-processing plants. The shift makes a lot of sense. For one thing, building solar thermal plants takes several years and millions of dollars in capital. You don't need to go through years of BLM meetings to sell equipment to private companies. Second, Ausra has lost out on some of the big deals to Brightsource Energy and others. Thus, it's selling solar steam equipment to people who just need equipment or want to wallow in what might have been.    

To read the rest of the story, visit Green Light

Comments [2]

  • Nick Panchev 01/29/09 10:30 PM

    We knew of the inevitable at end of 2006. (Same inevitable that occurred in 1991, thereafter SEGS-IX, the last for a decade and half).
    Nevada?s solar and that 5MWe could also be the last of the IPPs, construed as the conclusive event of 2008 and the final for this millennium, the FPL?s 2010 event; the end of all.
    Indubitably due to:
    1.Siting of solar farms, whether on BLM?s administered land, or on a privately owned, that turned-out to be a ?Grande Fiasco?.
    2.IOUs quest to develop-own-operate, right after the solar boys gets permitting, was already evident by their Renewables RFO?s platform.
    3.Unless, the Private Equity Firms demand return of their initial rounds from those several solar boys, having no other alternatives, but to go trough the FSAs, the IOUs have to take over the conclusion of the permitting. (Possible, just about break-even, at best, if the solar boys obtain the permitting and EXIT; for good).
    4.Thereafter, most likely by 2010, the RPS may be trashed-out and the IOUs can continue their status quo; business as usual.
    5.In lieu thereof funding pilot projects, based upon several viable disruptive technology by the in-the-box out of their garages solar boys, the Rulers of the Status Quo blow it out to the Universities, the Labs, bunch of ?Proclaimed Socrates? and not limited to those non-profits 501(c)(3)??? ESQs, being some of the reasons for today?s commenced exiting with irreparable harm. (It is also believed, that Nostradamus may had some scripts about the Environs-for-profit (50?..0000(nothing) and their respective Intervenors ESQs, predicting that they have to look elsewhere for-profits in 2010, the beginning of the ?Great California Blackouts?)
    6.It is also believed, that there were certain scripts by Nostradamus, mentioning about the ?Science Revolution of 2010?, which included today?s RPS and short lived tech?s modeling, which are to be just on paper, like his scripts, not limited to Governmental Agencies consolidation, which can not foster the implementation of the Science Revolution, due to outcome of the predicted then final 2010 financial crash.
    7.The Stimulus Plan will not prolong the inevitable exiting of Renewable and Alternative energy?s IPPs; long gone by 2010 (Read the small print, as well as in-between), unless the Obama?s Administration, Legislature, Congress and the House, not limited to the DOE?s Dr. Chu presiding, come-up with a drastic changes in the Bill, fostering comfort zone (Near-zero Risk Factor) to those major Fund of Funds/Hedge Funds and some of the SRI?s bailed-out Wall Streeters, for the real rounds; construction of Renewable/Alternative energy?s electric power generating facilities.
    8.The Era of the Hybrids. To alleviate black-outs in California (identical to the 2001, if not more severe, ask CA ISO for 2010 Modeling ) and other Western States, the IOUs will be scrambling for these 50MWe Peakers, particularly if the RPS is to remain, instead of trashed-out, praying for the ?150MWe Super Peakers?, consisting of about 20% of total nameplate worth of Renewables, integrated with at least 40% recovered energy, in synergy with the residual 40% by the old mighty natural gas-fired.
    Adios Solares Muchachos.
    May be, may be not, we see you in Baja California, Mexico. No solar-thermal there.
    No Renewables, nor CSP?s solar-thermal, nor Fresnel,?s factory, nor Power Towers, nor PV/CPV there either. Just Super Hybrid Complexes (diesel-fired with seawater desals and with plenty of red tomatoes in the Super Greenhouses; you got to eat vegetables, do you? It is good for your health.

    Reply
  • jacque 09/16/09 5:51 AM

    due to recession many small and big companies are cutting their expenses.
    Promotional PRoducts

    Reply
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