Aleo Solar can now point to new contracts with Gamesa and Endesa in Spain worth €15 million. This is impressive for a German solar firm which not normally associated with venturing outside of their cushy, high-subsidy home market.

What is crucial as well is that Aleo Solar have matched this demand for modules with a cell supply contract with Q-Cells that runs until 2012. For solar pv module manufacturers like Aleo, long-term silicon contracts are the key to ending silicon volatility.

By 2012, I suspect the price of silicon will have finally started to fall and they will have gently ridden out the worst part of the silicon storm.