Solar Jobs: New CEOs at Suntech and Solar Junction; Plus Sol Voltaics, SolarReserve and SEIA

Executive and boardroom changes in greentech and alternative energy

Eric Wesoff September 27, 2013

Eric Wesoff

Editor-at-Large
Greentech Media

Eric Wesoff is Editor-at-Large at Greentech Media. Prior to joining GTM, Eric Wesoff founded Sage Marketing Partners in 2000 to provide sales and marketing-consulting services to venture-capital firms and their portfolio companies in the alternative energy and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Wesoff has become a well-known, respected authority and speaker in these fields.

His expertise covers solar power, fuel cells, biofuels and advanced batteries. His strengths are in market research and analysis, business development and due diligence for investors. He frequently consults for energy startups and Silicon Valley's premier venture capitalists.

Suntech CEO David King stepped down to be replaced by acting CFO Zhou Weiping.

Vijit Sabnis, co-founder of concentrated PV solar cell Solar Junction, is now CEO, replacing founding CEO Jim Weldon. We'll have more details on the status of Solar Junction in a few days. For those interested in this technology, Fraunhofer just hit a record 44.7 percent efficiency for a 4-junction cell at 297 suns.

The Solar Energy Industries Association added Raghu Belur of Enphase as a new board member.

SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of utility-scale concentrated solar power projects, named Mary Grikas, formerly of Petra Solar, as VP of Communications.

Sol Voltaics, an early-stage solar cell technology firm recently closed a funding round and added Thomas Moe Borseth of Umoe to its board and added Kang Sun, former CEO of JA Solar and current CEO of Amprius, as an independent director.

Results of the 2013 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report were announced by Governor Deval Patrick: clean energy jobs in Massachusetts grew by 11.8 percent between June 2012 and June 2013, the second year of double-digit growth. There are 5,557 clean energy companies employing 79,994 workers across the state. More than 8,400 workers spend 50 percent of their time supporting the solar energy industry. More information here.

Jason Matlof, former head of Battery Ventures' former cleantech effort, has been appointed VP of Worldwide Marketing at A10.