The German solar PV equipment manufacturer has confirmed its preliminary figures for the past year. The record sales registered in 2017 could be increased even further this year.

Roughly seven months after its new beginning, the German solar PV manufacturer has again filed for insolvency at the District Court of Bonn – the second time in one year. SolarWorld blames the planned phasing out of anti-dumping measures by the EU Commission against Chinese competition and the further drop in prices.

For a long time, the Swedish power utility has primarily focused on hydro and wind power when it comes to renewables. But in recent months, the number of solar PV and storage projects has significantly increased. This was reason enough for pv magazine to talk with Claus Wattendrup, head of Vattenfall’s Solar and Batteries Business Unit, about the utility’s concrete plans.

The analysts forecast further solar growth for this year, with the Spanish market expected to become Europe’s fifth-largest in 2018.

The German PV company aims to finalize the proceedings, which are possible under German insolvency law since the summer of 2012. Business operations are expected to run at full capacity.

In a short chat with pv magazine, the head of Eon’s solar business in Germany, Sebastian Eisenberg has described how the German utility is planning to further develop its PV activities after the company’s recent plan to buy a majority stake in Innogy. The deal, in fact, envisages redistributing operations so that RWE focuses on the renewable energy business, while energy networks and customer solutions would be the responsibility of Eon.

The Hamburg-based solar and wind power plant operator saw its revenue and operating result increase significantly last year, thus exceeding its own forecasts.

The Munich-based company will acquire a 70% stake in a solar PV project pipeline totaling 2 GW in the Netherlands through its renewable energy arm Baywa re. The transaction will have to be approved by antitrust authorities.

The turnover of the Munich-based chemical company increased by 6%. The polysilicon business of Wacker Chemie also continued to increase last year; however, the production halt in the U.S. prevented even stronger growth.

Eon has announced plans to take over a 76.8% stake in the German utility, RWE’s renewable energy spin-off, Innogy. The acquisition is part of a far-reaching agreement between the two, which envisages redistributing operations so that RWE focuses on the renewable energy business, while energy networks and customer solutions would be the responsibility of Eon.