Ausra shaves staff as it chases immediate revenue

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Ausra released a statement today, saying it plans to focus on being a technology and equipment supplier instead of independent power producer to begin immediately generating revenue.

The solar thermal power developer laid off about 10 percent of its staff this week. 

Ausra CEO Bob Fishman said the new strategy means the company will sell Ausra-manufactured equipment to utilities and industrial companies wanting to generate power. Ausra plans to begin selling 50-megawatt solar-steam generating systems to food processors, enhanced oil recovery firms, and utilities.

"Ausra can quickly ramp up and install these low-cost projects as early as 2009 or 2010, while large power projects can take three to four years," Fishman said in a release. "This will allow the company to deploy its technology and generate revenue immediately, while the larger projects are obtaining permits and getting transmission access."

The credit crunch has dried up sources of funding for many large-scale projects (see Record 2008 for cleantech with $8.4B in investments).

Fishman said Ausra is focused in the long term on providing solar thermal technology and equipment for large-scale power and industrial steam projects.

"While Ausra’s direct steam for industrial customers is creating major near-term opportunities, building large projects, like the 177-megawatt project for PG&E in California, remains a long term focus in the U.S., Australia, and the Middle East," Fishman said. "The company intends to thrive not just survive in the current economic environment and beyond."

The 177-MW solar thermal plant in central California was supposed to be a major focus for Ausra. Ausra signed a power-purchase agreement for the Carrizo Plains project with San Francisco's Pacific Gas & Electric (NYSE: PCG) (see PG&E, Ausra in 177MW solar thermal deal). That facility is expected to power 120,000 homes.

In October, Ausra opened its 5-megawatt Kimberlina solar thermal power project near Bakersfield, Calif. (see Ausra opens U.S. solar-thermal plant).

Ausra has raised $133 million in venture equity and debt financing (see Ausra grabs $60M, loses founder).

The solar sector has seen widespread layoffs in recent weeks. Jiangsu-based PV manufacturer Suntech Power (NYSE: STP) confirmed it laid off 10 percent of its workforce, in part because it projected a decline in panel prices in 2009 of about 25 percent to 30 percent (see Is this the end of China's solar boom?).

Hayward, Calif.-based OptiSolar laid off half its employees after it failed to raise a new round of funding (see Solar layoffs continue with OptiSolar). Canada's  Day4 Energy (TSX: DFE) announced layoffs for one-third of its staff, as it began to outsource production to Poland (see Day4 Energy lays off one-third of workforce).

And in December, solar cell equipment maker GT Solar announced plans to layoff 25 workers, or 8 percent off its staff, from its manufacturing plant in New Hampshire.

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