PVEL looks at the risky business of inverters
The testing company’s first inverter scorecard found widespread failures of basic tests in UL- and IEC-tested products.
SECI extends deadline for 3 GW India tender
State-owned Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has once again extended the bid submission deadline for its latest 3 GW, manufacturing-linked solar tender, following a tepid response.
Sungrow opens pre-sales for new 1500Vdc string inverter
Sungrow has presented a new 1500Vdc string inverter at Intersolar Europe 2019. The SG250HX, a standout 250 kW inverter, is already available for pre-sale.
Sonnen starts shipping batteries made in South Australia to New Zealand
The German energy storage provider has begun shipping batteries made in the former Holden factory in the north of Adelaide to New Zealand. Sonnen batteries will be available exclusively through the manufacturer’s local partner, Taspac Energy.
SMA posts first-quarter loss
Sales revenue declined at the start of the year despite steady inverter shipments. The reverse was mainly due to sluggish project business and SMA is predicting significant increases in sales and earnings in the second half.
SolarEdge just keeps growing
The Israeli power electronics maker’s revenues and shipments keep rising as it absorbs more companies, but the pending increase in Section 301 tariffs leaves some clouds in the future.
Trump’s trade war tweets badly timed for Chinese solar manufacturers
Latest tirade may simply be a crude bid to up the ante with a high-profile Chinese deputation due to visit the U.S. in the latest round of trade talks this week but its timing is worrying for the Chinese solar companies struggling under huge debts.
Enphase can’t keep up with demand
The US microinverter maker reported its second consecutive quarter of profit and is sold out into the second half of the year, as it continues to battle tariffs and component shortages.
Huawei remained world’s largest inverter provider in 2018
The Chinese string inverter giant was the world’s biggest supplier for the fourth year in a row, in spite of having lost 4% in global market shares, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie. Asia-Pacific was again the largest inverter market last year, accounting for 64% of global shipments. Sungrow and SMA were, respectively, the second and third largest providers.
Taiwan becomes a GW solar market
TrendForce says the country deployed more than 1 GW of new PV for the first time last year, and predicts this year may see as much as 1.5 GW of new solar capacity. The nation’s cumulative capacity reached 2,618 MW at the end of last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
