Note 13. Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]

13. Related Party Transactions

In October 2008, we made an investment, at a total cost of $25.0 million, in the preferred stock of a company based in the United States that supplies and installs solar power systems for commercial and residential customers. In the fourth fiscal quarter of 2008, we also entered into a long-term solar module supply agreement with this related party. This investment represented an ownership of approximately 11% of the voting interest in this company as of September 25, 2010 (the end of our third fiscal quarter) and was our only equity interest in that entity. Since our ownership interest in this company was less than 20%, we did not have significant influence over it, and the fair value was not readily determinable, we accounted for this investment using the cost method. In December 2010, we sold our investment for $28.6 million in cash and terminated our long-term solar module supply agreement with this related party.

During the year ended December 31, 2010, we recognized $9.6 million in net sales to this related party. At December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we did not have any accounts receivable from this related party.

In connection with the closure of our manufacturing plant in Frankfurt (Oder) we sold $0.5 million of solar modules to employees in 2012, which were paid for in cash at the time of the sale.