Days after winning Deal of the Year at the Rosenblatt New Energy Awards, Germany-based Concentrix Solar has opened a major power plant in the US.

The recent contract win sees Concentrix opening a one megawatt solar power plant at Chevron Mining facility in New Mexico, the largest of its kind in the US.

Concentrix was awarded Deal of the Year after it was sold to microelectronics specialist Soitec for €55 million (£50 million) in December 2009. Concentrix, which produces solar energy systems, spun off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in 2005, and will use Soitec's technology to improve the performance of its solar cells.

Another winner at the Rosenblatt New Energy Awards was Martin Dix, CEO of Current Cost, who won Entrepreneur of the Year after selling more than 400,000 energy monitors over the past six years. The Co-operative Group, which sources 99 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, beat Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons to win Retailer of the Year.

Held in London's Natural History Museum, the Rosenblatt New Energy Awards attracted an audience of more than 400 cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, academics and advisers to recognise the achievements of leading companies in the renewable energy industry.

The event was hosted by Gardeners' World presenter Joe Swift, who gave the audience tips for sustainable gardening.

For more information, please go to M&A's sister title GrowthBusiness.co.uk