Shadow on sun power as Crystalox sales dive

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In further bad news for the clean-tech energy sector, one of its larger, more-established brethren Clipper Windpower unveiled much worse than expected losses.

Crystalox makes the silicon wafers that harness the energy of the sun in solar panels. It today blamed the credit crunch and oversupply in the industry for a 10% fall in first-half sales to about €113 million (£101 million).

A weakening order book has meant the company is having to slash prices as it concedes it is implementing "temporary price flexibility with some of our customers".

Clipper Windpower said today its sale of 248 turbines last year against nine in the prior year sent revenues soaring $737 million (£484 million). However, huge charges to mend faulty turbines saw losses deepen to $313 million from $192 million in 2007.

Chief executive Doug Pertz has indicated he plans to open a UK plant next year to take advantage of proposals to install 8000 turbines around the coastlines of Britain. In the US, the Obama administration has set a goal of doubling wind generating capacity within three years.