Solaria Corp., a global provider of solar panels for the premium residential and commercial markets, appointed Bang Nguyen as Chief Operating Officer and Balaji Thirumalai as Chief Commercial Officer. Nguyen was most recently CEO at Zing Semiconductor, based in Shanghai. Thirumalai was previously Senior Vice President at Mindtree, heading the High Tech and Media Industry group.
“Solaria’s growth trajectory is running on a successful track, and it’ll be enhanced with the addition of these two accomplished industry leaders,” said Solaria CEO Suvi Sharma. “I can’t imagine executives better equipped than Bang and Balaji to help us meet the opportunity we face to lead the premium residential solar market. I’m thrilled to have them join the team. With our recent expansion investment, we are well equipped to strengthen the team and double our manufacturing capacity.”
Designed and engineered in the U.S., Solaria PowerXT is one of the most advanced solar panels on the market today. A patented cell design, advanced panel architecture, and innovative assembly techniques enable greater than 20% efficiency and a sleek Pure Black design with no visible circuitry. High power density allows solar installers to maximize power and energy yield on customer roofs. And shade resistant technology keeps Solaria PowerXT performing when other panels have ceased generating power.
“Solaria is breaking from the pack in the solar panel market,” noted Bang Nguyen. “Many customers, especially residential customers, demand what Solaria panels deliver: a no-compromise blend of performance, aesthetics, and economics. I’m excited to be in a position to help Solaria deliver on all three to a broad global market.”
“The more people hear about what Solaria offers, the more excited they become,” said Balaji Thirumalai. “In my experience, success occurs by connecting the right product with a critical market requirement, and to do so in a compelling fashion. Solaria clearly has a superior product that addresses a real need, and I’m pleased to work with such an accomplished team to help Solaria scale to the next level.”
More on the new appointments
Nguyen served as chief operating officer for the solar materials division at SunEdison, where he led and managed a supply chain and external procurement/sourcing operations to supply over 2GW per year of solar materials. Prior, Mr. Nguyen worked at Applied Materials, serving as the vice president and general manager of the product business units. He began his career at IBM as a member of the development and technology transfer team, transforming 64Mb DRAM into the world’s first 200mm manufacturing Fab. Mr. Nguyen earned his M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University.
Balaji Thirumalai is an entrepreneur and business executive with extensive experience in semiconductors, software, and renewable energy. Most recently he was a senior vice president at Mindtree. Prior to that, he oversaw SunEdison’s commercial and industrial business in Asia Pacific, by cultivating channel partners and establishing the company’s number one market share in India. Prior, he managed Strategy and Corporate Development at Cypress Semiconductor. Mr. Thirumalai is a co-inventor of three U.S. patents. Mr. Thirumalai earned his MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
— Solar Builder magazine
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