Clear Skies Solar, Inc.(fka CSKH)

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Could this be the start of the solar merger boom everyone's been talking about for the past three years?

Real Goods Solar, a solar installer with offices all over Northern California as well as Colorado, said today it will merge with renewable power developer Alteris, with offices in eight Northeastern states.

The merger broadens the reach and strength of the two entities, obviously, and also will give the combined entity - which will keep the name Real Goods Solar - increased buying power.

For several years, solar stakeholders have said solar is ripe for mergers. The little guys that caught the solar wave will find increasing difficulty competing with solar powerhouses like Foster City-based SolarCity in terms of customer acquisition, supply procurement, talent and financing.

But the merger boom has been slow-coming.Companies like Acro Energy Technologies and SunPowerbizWatch started combining smaller solar integrators a few years ago with the notion that the solar industry would eventually grow up and leave them behind. Still, just this year, SunEdison's purchase by MEMC, and SunPower's recent majority stake purchase by Total showed that solar is growing up. Big vertical integrators with deep pockets are now a force to be reckoned with and it's safe to guess there will be more acquisitions where this one came from.


http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/sanfrancisco/blog/2011/06/real-goods-solar-merges-northeast.html