First Solar industry luminary, Chip Hambro, joins eSolar board

eSolar, a leading provider of modular, scalable solar thermal power technology, announced the addition of George (Chip) A. Hambro, retired Chief Operating Officer of First Solar Inc., to its Board of Directors.

During his eight-year tenure at First Solar, the largest manufacturer of solar modules in the Western Hemisphere, Mr. Hambro led the company to its successful IPO, increased its global reach, strategically focused R&D on advancing the company’s thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology, and solidified its place as a solar industry leader.

According to Bill Gross, CEO of eSolar, the addition of a PV industry veteran to the eSolar team is a strong signal of the maturation of concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) and of the significant role CSP plays in the global solar market.

“With our global footprint rapidly expanding, we are excited to tap the knowledge and experience of a true visionary in the solar industry to help us drive eSolar’s growth and reduce the cost of clean energy,” said Gross.

“To bring renewable energy into the mainstream economy, we need to build strong, cost-competitive companies with smart business strategies,” said Hambro. “Just as we questioned industry assumptions at First Solar, eSolar has brought a new approach to CSP, marrying low-cost manufacturing – a proven solar success factor – with high tech computing power.”

Hambro joined First Solar in 2001 as Vice President of Engineering and served as General Manager for two years until assuming his role as Chief Operating Officer in 2005. Prior to joining First Solar, he held the positions of Vice President of Engineering and Business Development for Goodrich Aerospace and Vice President of Operations for ITT. Hambro graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Science (Applied Physics).

The announcement comes on the heels of several milestones for eSolar, including establishing operations in South Africa and the opening of its first commercial-scale facility, Sierra SunTower, which is currently delivering 5 MW of electricity to Southern California Edison.