Akeena: Quality Issues on Solar Modules, Analyst Says

Akeena Solar (AKNS) is having “quality issues” with some of its Andalay brand solar modules, according to Pacific Crest analyst Mark Bachman.

“Our contacts revealed that some panels are being returned to Akeena, depending on the severity of the defect,” he wrote in a research note this morning. The issue he says, involved the frame, and not the performance of the modules themselves. “Akeena touts the aesthetically pleasing nature [of its Andalay line] as a key contributor to charging a premium price,” he writes. “Poor manufacturing quality affecting the looks, coupled with reports from our contacts that the module has been returned, suggest to us that either price breaks were negotiated on the modules kept in the field, or Akeena will suffer increased costs to rectify the situation.”

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