Efficiency is the name of the game in the solar energy business. The more electricity a photovoltaic solar power system squeezes from the sun, the greater value (by area) that system delivers—more “energy per acre,” in industryspeak. No solar energy systems are more efficient than concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar energy systems designed and manufactured by Seal Beach, California–based Amonix. In October 2012, testing by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrated that Amonix CPV modules can convert 33.5 percent of direct sunlight into electricity under real-world conditions, peaking at 34.2 percent—the most-efficient systems ever tested. (Amonix also held the previous record, by the way.)

To achieve this efficiency, Amonix CPV systems use a wider variety of materials and employ different manufacturing processes than conventional solar panels. Amonix’ systems are also different from conventional systems in how they’re used—they’re made specifically for large, utility-grade deployments, as opposed to rooftop installations on homes or businesses. For these reasons and more, Amonix as a company requires business processes that are global, collaborative, and tightly integrated.

During a period of rapid growth a few years ago, leaders at Amonix could see that their existing business applications couldn’t handle their complex manufacturing and construction needs. “We were running a tier 2 ERP [enterprise resource planning] environment,” recalls Amonix CEO Patrick McCullough. “It could not scale with us internationally, and it could not handle the complexity in our supply chain.” To meet those challenges, Amonix IT staff deployed Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1 in the last half of 2011—and did so in a manner that, like Amonix solar energy systems, was unprecedented in its efficiency.