LOS ANGELES - JA Solar's founder has resigned as vice chairman of the board and will leave the company, the solar power player said on Monday, saying he will pursue other business interests.

Huaijin Yang founded JA Solar in 2005 and led the company as chief executive until July 2009, according to JA Solar's website.

China's JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd supplies solar cells to customers who use them in their solar panels. Like many in the solar industry, JA Solar has suffered from a lack of financing for renewable energy projects and reported a wider quarterly net loss in August.

The company said in a statement it named Yuwen Zhao as an independent member of its board of directors, effective immediately and that Honghua Xu is leaving the board as well.

The outgoing vice chairman, Yang, also helped found China's panel maker Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, according to JA Solar's website.

JA Solar shares were up 2 percent at $4.01 in afternoon trading on Monday on the Nasdaq. (Reporting by Laura Isensee; editing by Andre Grenon)

China Energy Solar