Siemens Solar Industries

Siemens Solar Industries, the Camarillo solar-energy firm, has named a new chief executive. George W. Roland, a former corporate vice president of Kennametal Inc. of Latrobe, Penn., became Siemens' president and CEO, filling a position left vacant by the resignation of Charles Gay in April. Roland was director of technology at Kennametal. Before that, he was involved in solar energy research at Westinghouse Electric Corp.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, has completed a $3-million expansion of its Vancouver, Wash., crystal-growing facility. Chet Farris, Siemens' chief operating officer, said the expansion will triple the Vancouver plant's capacity. The facility makes crystals used in manufacturing solar, or photovoltaic, modules and cells. The Vancouver expansion and increased capacity at other solar-energy plants come at a time when solar is making a comeback.

Camarillo-based Siemens Solar Industries was awarded a multimillion-dollar contract by the Renewable Energy Development Agency of India to train designers and educators there in solar electric system design. The specific dollar amount was not disclosed. Siemens will provide training, aimed at increasing the viability of solar energy technology in India, through courses offered at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, New Delhi and Bombay, and at the Solar Energy Center in Gwalphari.

Once again, solar panels produced by Camarillo-based Siemens Solar Industries are generating some of the electricity that lights the national Christmas tree. As it did last year, Siemens has joined other U.S. solar manufacturers in providing panels for the traditional Washington holiday spectacle. The panels gather the sun's power during the day, then deliver it at night to the National Park Service.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, has expanded its Photovoltaic Technology and System Design training program to include more hands-on projects in the system design segment. In addition, the program's basic self-study course has been rewritten to include 14 hours of videotaped lessons and a new workbook. Completing the self-study program is a prerequisite for attending Siemens' Comprehensive Photovoltaic System Design Seminar, a five-day, hands-on workshop.

Siemens Solar Industries in Camarillo said it won a $20-million contract to supply, install and maintain photovoltaic systems in the West African countries of Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal. Siemens will provide 410 pumping systems, 89 cooling systems, 303 lighting systems and 33 battery charging systems to the Comite Permanent Interstats De Lutte Contre La Secheresse Dans Le Sahel, an organization founded to combat drought in the region.

Siemens Solar Industries, a Camarillo firm that claims to be the world's largest producer of solar-energy products, has laid off 28 workers as a cost-cutting measure. The company, which employs 400, took the action in "a proactive effort to be competitive and to continue to be profitable," spokeswoman Deanna L. Perez said. Siemens is a subsidiary of German electronics giant Siemens AG.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, is marketing a self-study video course on its photovoltaic, or solar-powered, technology. The course includes nine videocassettes and a 500-page training manual. It offers an overview of Siemens Solar installations worldwide. Completing the course is a prerequisite for attending the company's solar training center. The cost is $500. For ordering information, call Cindy Vernon at (805) 388-6568.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, has increased its production capacity by nearly 50% to meet increased worldwide demand for its solar products. The company has invested $3 million to upgrade its plant, the company says. Siemens, a unit of Germany's giant Siemens AG electronics concern, doesn't disclose its revenues, but says the market for its photovoltaic products grew by more than 20% in 1994.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, is marketing a self-study video course on its photovoltaic, or solar-powered, technology. The course includes nine videocassettes and a 500-page training manual. It offers an overview of Siemens Solar installations worldwide. Completing the course is a prerequisite for attending the company's solar training center. The cost is $500. For ordering information, call Cindy Vernon at (805) 388-6568.

Camarillo-based Siemens Solar Industries was awarded a multimillion-dollar contract by the Renewable Energy Development Agency of India to train designers and educators there in solar electric system design. The specific dollar amount was not disclosed. Siemens will provide training, aimed at increasing the viability of solar energy technology in India, through courses offered at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, New Delhi and Bombay, and at the Solar Energy Center in Gwalphari.

Camarillo-based Siemens Solar Industries, a major solar energy concern, has opened a new facility for mass production of crystal solar cells. Siemens Solar said the "clean room," part of a $3-million plant improvement, is a first in the industry and will produce 30,000 to 40,000 silicon wafers a day. Clean rooms are designed to provide a factory environment free of airborne contaminants.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, has increased its production capacity by nearly 50% to meet increased worldwide demand for its solar products. The company has invested $3 million to upgrade its plant, the company says. Siemens, a unit of Germany's giant Siemens AG electronics concern, doesn't disclose its revenues, but says the market for its photovoltaic products grew by more than 20% in 1994.

Siemens Solar Industries, based in Camarillo, has expanded its Photovoltaic Technology and System Design training program to include more hands-on projects in the system design segment. In addition, the program's basic self-study course has been rewritten to include 14 hours of videotaped lessons and a new workbook. Completing the self-study program is a prerequisite for attending Siemens' Comprehensive Photovoltaic System Design Seminar, a five-day, hands-on workshop.

Siemens Solar Industries, a Camarillo firm that for years has claimed to be the world's leading supplier of solar-energy products, has sold its solar-lighting business to a Hong Kong company that formerly manufactured outdoor lights and other items for Siemens. Terms of the sale weren't disclosed, but a Siemens Solar spokeswoman said the Hong Kong firm, Alpan Products Ltd., has acquired about 10% of Siemens' business.

Two Ventura County firms--Siemens Solar Industries and GTE California--have joined in installing North America's first solar-powered telephone routing switch. The unit, called a digital loop carrier, will bring phone service to a remote cluster of 20 homes in San Bernardino County. The community has no commercial electrical service and no available telephone lines.

Two Ventura County firms--Siemens Solar Industries and GTE California--have joined in installing North America's first solar-powered telephone routing switch. The unit, called a digital loop carrier, will bring phone service to a remote cluster of 20 homes in San Bernardino County. The community has no commercial electrical service and no available telephone lines.

Camarillo-based Siemens Solar Industries has completed what it calls the largest solar home electrification project in the United States. The project, which will provide photovoltaic or solar power to 108 homes in the Sacramento area, was installed by Siemens in cooperation with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. The district is seeking clean, renewable power sources that will minimize the so-called greenhouse effect.