[RE-wrenches] Astopower 120 failure ERRATA

Tue Jun 8 17:37:12 PDT 2010

Fellow Wrenches,

I'm still interested if _any_ takeover manufacturer has ever supported the
previous warranty.

In regards to the local ET Solar presentation, and a follow up phone call to
their California location, I have misstated that there is _any_ warranty
once ET goes bust. (Evidently, that piece of training was too technical for
me to get it right the first time.????)

Apologies,

Bill Loesch
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Loesch" <solar1online at charter.net>
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Astopower 120 failure

Fellow Wrenches,

Is there any variation in the "business model" of _any_ other takeover of
now defunct module manufacturers? e.g.. Siemens - Shell - SolarWorld?

I was recently at one of the solar industries current profit centers, dba
"training", which featured, among others, ET Solar (single and multicrystal
manufacturer based in China). The subject of warranty came up and the
presenter stated that their quality and power output warranty was backed up
with warranty insurance such that if ET would not be around in ten days or
ten/twenty years the insurance would still be available. Comments?

Thanks,

Bill Loesch
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Brooks" <billbrooks7 at yahoo.com>
To: "'RE-wrenches'" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 10:46 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Astopower 120 failure

Carl and David,

Of course this means nothing related to the AstroPower warranty. The lawyers
at GE Energy were very careful to wait until AstroPower was officially dead
before they bought the Equipment to make modules from them. There is no
warranty--even though they are materially identical to the early GE product.
In the U.S. we call that "business".

Bill.

-----Original Message-----
From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of David
Brearley
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 8:32 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Astopower 120 failure

Carl,

Here's an excerpt from a news release that went out in late-December:

"Motech Industries Inc. (6244. TW) has signed an agreement to acquire GE
Energy¹s (NYSE: GE) Delaware solar module assembly operation. The plant,
which is located in Newark, Delaware assembles crystalline silicon based
photovoltaic modules and currently employs 75 people.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

With the acquisition, Motech will be granted the rights to use GE Energy¹s
module trademark for two years. In addition, Motech will assume the
responsibility to provide warranty services to GE¹s existing module clients.

Motech has been a supplier of solar cells to GE Energy for the past four
years."

David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor
SolarPro magazine
NABCEP Certified PV Installer 

On 6/8/10 10:13 AM, "Carl Hansen" <solarwks at cybermesa.com> wrote:

> I have a warrantee issue with an Astropower 120, from what I've read it
> seems GE bought them out. Does anyone have contact info at hand for GE ?
>   The panel is showing two burn marks on the backing at the point of two
> adjacent solder joints on one cell.
>
> Carl,
> Hansen&Sun Electric
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Options & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List-Archive:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
>

_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org

_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org

_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org