Unirac, a provider of solar power racking systems with a strong share of the North American market, named Peter Lorenz as the company's new CEO. Lorenz comes to Unirac from Quanta Services, a solar EPC firm.
Opower, the energy efficiency software startup, appointed Thomas Kramer as the firm’s CFO. Kramer was previously the CFO of Cvent, an event management technology firm.
Liquid Metal Battery Corporation, a brainchild battery firm from MIT luminary Donald Sadoway that is funded by Bill Gates and French Oil firm Total, has found its CEO. Phil Giudice, the third employee of now-public demand response firm EnerNOC, and former Massachusetts undersecretary of energy, has become CEO of the small startup. (We reported on the firm earlier this year.) LMBC's battery uses molten antimony and molten magnesium separated by an electrolyte. Sadoway claims that the all-liquid configuration is self-assembling and is expected to be scalable at low cost. The team has received $7 million from ARPA-E and $4 million from Total.
Voltaix, a manufacturer of germane, an important ingredient in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells, has named Peter A. Smith as CEO. Smith worked at Motorola, Honeywell and most recently as VP of Corporate Strategy for the Bussmann Division of Cooper Industries.
Ener1, the parent company of ailing battery firm EnerDel, rearranged the deck chairs on its ship last week. It named a new CEO, president and CFO in order to “improve its performance and shift its business toward heavy-duty transportation and electric grid energy-storage applications.” The company said Alex Sorokin has joined Ener1 as interim CEO, replacing Chris Cowger, who took the position less than two months ago, when Cowger replaced Charles Gassenheimer. Last month, Ener1 was delisted from the Nasdaq.
The Chairman and CEO of Day4 Energy (TSX: DFE), John MacDonald, has given the CEO role to George Rubin. The firm announced dismal third-quarter results: revenues of $14.5 million, down 65 percent from the same quarter in 2010 and 38 percent from the second quarter of 2011. Gross loss was 20.4 percent for the third quarter of 2011. Net loss for the third quarter of 2011 was $9.3 million. The firm, in a feat of spin, calls itself "a leading global provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) products and solutions." The firm has PV cell interconnection technology that it is now looking to license.
Qteros, a biofuel startup funded with more than $50 million from Battery Ventures, Venrock, et al., looks to be having some difficulties. Boston Business Journal reports that Qteros has laid off most of its staff and is for sale. The CEO John McCarthy is reputed to be out and replaced by Mick Sawka, Sr. VP of commercial development and engineering. Biofuels Digest reports that Battery Ventures investor Jason Matlof wrote in an email: "John M. is no longer with the company and a new CEO will be announced in the next couple days." He also stated that shutdown rumors were unfounded, adding, "To be clear, we are NOT selling IP, assets, et al."