Isofoton
Coordinates: 40°28′43.8″N 3°41′10.7″W / 40.478833°N 3.686306°W
 | |
| Industry | Photovoltaic, Solar Energy |
|---|---|
| Founded |
1981 Málaga, Spain |
| Headquarters | Málaga, Spain, Madrid, Spain |
Area served | International |
Key people |
(CEO)
|
Number of employees | 800 (2010) |
| Website | www.isofoton.com |
ISOFOTON was a global company, present in over 60 countries. ISOFOTON was involved in designing, manufacturing, and supplying Solar Energy products. Its activities were centered in three technology categories: Photovoltaic, Thermal, and High Concentration Photovoltaic.
History
ISOFOTON was founded in Málaga (Spain) in 1981 as a spin-off of a university project driven by Professor D. Antonio Luque of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, its first Chairman of the Board.
In 1985 ISOFOTON consolidated its activities in the solar energy field, incorporating the production technology of thermal collectors.
In 1997 the Bergé Group became the owner of ISOFOTON. In July 2007 the Alba Corporation bought 26% of the company with the intention of joining the stock market.
In February 2008, company CEO José Luis Manzano was relieved from duty. Carlos Torres, former managing director of Endesa, took his place.
In July of the same year, the Bergé Group bought back 26% of ISOFOTON, property of Alba Corporation.
In July 2010 ISOFOTON was acquired by AFFIRMA Business Group (80% ownership)and TOPTEC (20% ownership), a South Korean company that specializes in industrial automation.[1]
In 2013 the company was investigated for inappropriate use of public funds and approached bankruptcy, finally closed down its facilities in January 2014.[2][3]
Factory
The factory in Málaga had more than 28000 m2 of facilities and is located in the Andalusia Technology Park. Production did include:
- Conventional photovoltaic modules and trackers
- High concentration modules (HCPV)
Research and Development
ISOFOTON worked in collaboration with universities and research centers in Spain and around the world. Among its principal strategic alliances, they have agreements with companies such as INDRA for the development of trackers designed for HCPV modules, or the ISFOC for research in this field.
Many research projects held by ISOFOTON had an international dimension. ISOFOTON was involved in several projects in the FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development). One of them is related to high concentration photovoltaic technology and three are dedicated to silicon technology.
Bankruptcy
2015, the company went bankrupt and its remaining assets, which were valued at 57 millions, were auctioned to cover a debt of 160 millions. [4]
References
- ↑ ISOFOTON. "Consortium AFFIRMA-TOPTEC acquired ISOFOTON". ENF Solar.
- ↑ "Total Eclipse of the sun". El Pais. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Isofoton's Malaga factory faces closure". PV Tech. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.diariosur.es/economia/empresas-malaguenas/201502/16/como-venderse-isofoton-20150216133325.html
External links
- ISOFOTON ISOFOTON Website
- AFFIRMA Energía Solar AFFIRMA Solar Energy Website
- TOPTEC TOPTEC Website