"We have seen tremendous progress across these companies and are confident each will thrive in the coming years,” says Hudson chief executive Neil Auerbach.

The funding was underwritten by an "existing limited partner", with Moelis & Company serving as syndication agent.

Both Silicor, a PV-grade polysilicon producer, and SoloPower Systems, a maker of thin-film PV modules based on copper, indium, gallium, selenide (CIGS) technology, are in the process of building out their first commercial-scale factories.

Silicor, based in California, is advancing a new process for making polysilicon which it claims will allow for a significantly lower cost of production than prevailing industry prices.

Silicor