(Source: Canada Newswire)

BURNABY, BC, Nov. 9 /CNW/ - Day4 Energy Inc. (TSX: DFE), a solar
electric technology developer and manufacturer of superior
performance solar modules, today reported operating results for the
third quarter of 2009.
"The trend we started to see at the end of the last quarter
continued and strengthened through Q3 resulting in one of the most
significant periods of revenue growth in the company's history,"
said George Rubin, president of Day4 Energy. "We are very encouraged
by our 133% sales growth reaching $13.3 million for the third
quarter. In the face of the past very volatile 12 months we have
taken clear steps to manage our working capital and preserve our
cash position, implement strategies to support our sales efforts
including trade insurance for customers and focus on managing our
supply chain to utilize inventory and manage production. We are
pleased to see these efforts paying dividends in the form of
improved financial results, positive gross margin, a stable cash
position and improved sales."
Key events of the quarter and in the past month included:
- Advances in the solar project division with the announcement
of the
initiation of a 2.4MW project with Gunther Heiss Solar GmbH & Co.
KG
in Germany
- $0.5 million in funding from the National Research Council to
support
Day4's activities
- The introduction of the Day4 60MC-I featuring the Guardian
Technology(TM) that dramatically improves the performance of the
PV
modules when exposed to partial shading, snow, debris and other
external factors that, under normal circumstances, cause a
substantial reduction in power and energy yield.
- Approval from the Australian Patent Office on our patent for
our core
Day4 Electrode(R) solar technology.
Q3 2009 FINANCIAL RESULTS
Worldwide Product Revenues
Third quarter revenues of $13.3 million increased by $7.6 million
or 133% from the prior quarter revenues and decreased by $ 18.4
million for the same period in 2008. The increase in revenues
compared to the prior quarter is due to a relatively solid recovery
in demand in our primary markets. The decrease in revenue versus the
same period in 2008 was primarily due to the impact of the global
economic recession and financial crisis that started in the fourth
quarter 2008 The annual period comparison is skewed because Q3 2008
was the strongest in the history of the company and while the trend
has been increased demand over the past couple of quarters it has
not reached the levels seen prior to the start of the recession.
Gross Margins
The gross margin of $0.1 million for the third quarter compared
to a loss of $10.8 million in the second quarter 2009 and a gross
loss of $0.5 million in the same period in 2008. The higher gross
loss in the prior quarter was primarily the result of an inventory
write-down and period costs relating to low capacity utilization.
There were no inventory write-downs in the third quarter, however we
did incur period costs of $0.9 million relating to fixed overhead
costs due to low capacity utilization at Jabil Circuits Inc. that
unfavorably impacted our gross margin.
Expenses
For the third quarter of 2009, general and administrative
expenses were $1.9 million, relatively consistent compared to the
prior quarter expenses of $2.0 million and the expenses in the third
quarter of 2008 of $2.0 milion.
Sales and marketing expenses of $0.9 million for the third
quarter 2009 compared to $1.0 million and $0.9 million in the
previous quarter and the same period in 2008 respectively.
R&D expenses in the third quarter increased to $1.0 million from
$0.5 million in the prior quarter and $0.7 million for the same
period in 2008. The increase primarily related to the costs
associated with our Burnaby facility that is now used almost
exclusively for R&D purposes, following the transfer of production
to Jabil. All production equipment, personnel and facility costs,
with the exception of the Day4 Electrode wire production, have been
reallocated from production to R&D as we focus on the development of
the Day4 Electrode and new products. Staff assigned to R&D was forty-
one at the end of the third quarter compared to nine for the same
quarter ended in 2008.
Loss Per Share
The net loss for the third quarter 2009 was $4.2million ($0.12)
per share compared with $14.1 million ($0.38) per share for the
prior quarter and $1.7 million ($0.05) per share for the same period
in 2008. The net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2009
was $21 million ($0.57) per share compared to $4.9 million ($0.13)
per share for the same period in 2008. Higher net loss in the nine
months ended September 30, 2009 compared to the same period in 2008
was mainly attributed to the inventory write-down, activities
relating to the start up of Jabil and fixed overhead period cost due
to low capacity utilization.
Cash and Short-Term Investments
At September 30, 2009, we had $21 million in cash and short term
investments, including restricted cash of $0.4 million, even with
total cash and short term investments of $21 million at June 30,
2009 and $26 million at December 31, 2008.Cash used by operations
was $0.4 million for the third quarter 2009, compared to $0.7
million for the second quarter of 2009 and $8.4 million for the same
period in 2008. Cash used in operating activities significantly
decreased from the comparable periods in 2008 through cost reduction
programs to manage working capital and preserve cash.
Detailed financial results and management's discussion and
analysis can be found on our website at www.day4energy.com or on
SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
About Day4 Energy
Day4 Energy Inc. is Canada's largest manufacturer of high
performance photovoltaic (PV) modules for residential, commercial
and utility scale installations around the world. By fundamentally
improving on the design and assembly of solar modules, Day4 Energy
produces unique PV panels of high power density, increased lifetime
and uncompromised aesthetic appearance. Day4 Energy partners with
international technology leaders to develop and deliver IEC- and UL-
certified solar products to customers throughout Europe and North
America. Day4 Energy is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under
the symbol "DFE". For more information, please visit
www.day4energy.com.
Conference Call Information
Day4 Energy's management will conduct a conference call at 8:30am
(ET) November 9, 2009 to review the company's third-quarter
financial results. The call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-319-
4610 (Canada and US) or 1-604-638-5340 (International) prior to the
start of the call. Following the call a recording of the conference
call will be archived on Day4 Energy's website, www.day4energy.com
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that relate
to our current expectations and views of future events.