Solar Shares Brighten

Solar shares rebounded along with the overall financial markets Monday as news of U.S. and European rescue plans took hold.

During late-day trading, First Solar shares (NSDQ: FSLR) jumped $22.45, or 19.1 percent, to $139.90 per share; SunPower Corp.'s (NSDQ: SPWRA) stock shot up $7.47, or 17.37 percent, to $50.48; LDK Solar's (NYSE: LDK) stock rose $1.65, or 8.04 percent to $22.20 per share; and Evergreen Solar's (NSDQ: ESLR) increased 58 cents, or 16.86 percent, to $4.03.

Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrials gained 936 points – breaking a record for a one-day gain – and the S&P 500, Nasdaq and other indices also jumped.

It's welcome news after the gut-wrenching plunges of last week, and industry insiders say it bodes well for the mood at the nearly sold out Solar Power International conference, which kicks off in San Diego this week.

The event, which organizers Monday forecast would attract more than 20,000 attendees from at least 70 countries, begins Monday evening and ends Thursday.

News has been trickling out in advance of the conference (see Solar Roundup: First Look at Solar Power International). Here is a roundup of more news announced Monday, which could help the solar industry get a handle on how these turbulent times might play out.

Signet Starts Thin-film Production
Startup Signet Solar announced Monday it has officially begun producing thin-film solar panels at a rate of 20 megawatts per year at its factory in Mochau, Germany.

The company, which uses manufacturing equipment from Applied Materials (NSDQ: AMAT), told Greentech Media in September that it would begin commercial production of its amorphous-silicon films annually by the end of the month (see Signet to Start Thin-Film Solar Production).

The company didn't say why it was delayed, although it says it has just received certification from a German agency, however a spokesperson said the company began full production Monday. 

The move makes Signet the first of Applied Materials' customers to reach commercial production with the semiconductor-equipment manufacturer's thin-film solar tools. Signet also plans to increase its capacity at the German plant to about 130 megawatts by the end of 2009.

Advent Signs $350M Contract With Deutsche Solar
Advent Solar Inc. said Monday that it has signed a $350 million contract to buy silicon wafers from Deutsche Solar, a subsidiary of SolarWorld AG. Deutsche Solar will provide its Solsix wafers to Advent through 2018, the companies reported.

Albuquerque, N.M.-based Advent plans to use Deutsche Solar's wafers to begin making products based on its Ventura Solar Technology, a design and manufacturing process that the company says will increase its solar-cell and -panel efficiencies and cut manufacturing costs (see Solar Industry Convenes in Spain, Makes News).

The company, founded in 2002, makes cells based on technology licensed from Sandia National Laboratory that the company claims improves the efficiency of its cells.