SolFocus

About SolFocus

SolFocus was a developer of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems, founded in November 2005 by serial entrepreneur Gary D. Conley and Steve Horne. The company emerged to commercialize CPV technologies originally developed at H2Go, a prior Conley venture focused on the hydrogen economy. SolFocus aimed to make solar energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels by using optics to concentrate sunlight onto small, highly efficient solar cells.

The company's core product was a CPV system that used a system of reflective mirrors to concentrate sunlight by as much as 650 times. This energy was focused onto multi-junction photovoltaic cells, which had conversion efficiencies approaching 40%, significantly higher than traditional silicon panels. This approach drastically reduced the amount of expensive solar cell material needed—using approximately 1/1000th of the semiconductor material compared to conventional panels. The systems were integrated with dual-axis trackers that precisely followed the sun to maximize energy generation, making them particularly effective in hot, dry regions with abundant direct sunlight. By 2008, the company launched its SF-1100S system, achieving a panel efficiency of 25%. The firm targeted large-scale commercial, industrial, and utility-scale solar installations.

SolFocus secured significant venture capital, raising over $230 million across multiple funding rounds from investors including New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Apex Venture Partners, and NGEN Partners. The company expanded its operations globally, establishing a European headquarters in Madrid, Spain, and acquiring Inspira, a Spanish provider of solar trackers, to bolster its system capabilities. A key milestone was becoming the first CPV manufacturer to meet the IEC 62108 industry standard for its modules in 2009. However, the company faced immense market pressure from the rapidly falling prices of traditional crystalline silicon solar panels. Despite deploying 18 megawatts of its technology and securing a large 450-megawatt project in Mexico, SolFocus struggled with cash flow. In late 2012, the company laid off a significant portion of its staff and began seeking a buyer. By September 2013, SolFocus had ceased operations, joining a list of CPV firms unable to compete in the aggressive solar market.