Heritage Global Partners will auction off the thin film PV maker’s tools from its research & development facility in Silicon Valley on May 30-31.

BY Christian Roselund

MAY 10, 2018 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

The demise of U.S. solar manufacturers including Suniva and Stion was certainly bad news for their workers and communities in Georgia, Michigan and Mississippi, but it is an opportunity for other solar companies looking to pick up tools on the cheap.

On May 30-31, Heritage Global Partners will auction off equipment from the research and development (R&D) facility of thin film PV maker Stion in San Jose, California. Stion announced that it would quit operations and sell off its production factory in Mississippi last October.

The company’s website has a list of the tools for sale, which includes an array of sputtering deposition tools, a spectrometer or two, a scribing laser, and a scanning electron microscope, many from highly specialized niche tool makers.

This is far from the only company whose tools are coming up for sale this month. Yesterday GA Global Partners auctioned off the tools from Panasonic Eco Solution’s ingot and wafer factory in Oregon, and on May 24 cell and module tools from Suniva’s Georgia and Michigan factories will go to the auction block.

Story Posted on PV Magazine