Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Ideal Power Converters (IPC) has been awarded USD$2.5 million by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to develop lighter and cheaper solar inverters.

Wacker Chemie AG has begun production at its new polysilicon production facilities in Nünchritz, Germany three months earlier than scheduled.

A new high-performance, flexible copper nanowire, first developed at Duke University in the U.S. last year and now being commercialized at a spin-off company called NanoForge Corporation, may drive down the cost of solar cell production.

A packed room, interactive sessions and presentations that gave food for thought. The Solarpraxis workshop ‘Quality for Photovoltaics: the key driver for sustainable growth’ came to a successful conclusion yesterday. Bankability, testing measures and installation errors were the key topics discussed.

ABB has established a 400 megawatt (MW) solar inverter production line in Jüri, Estonia. The company has also opened an engineering center there, and invested in a solar plant.

Innotech Solar ASA has opened a new solar cell testing and optimization factory in Halle/Saale, Germany. An initial investment of €20 million has been made.

Despite an increase in photovoltaic module shipments, revenues and gross profits are forecast to keep on shrinking into next year, according to new research, due to the “huge” oversupply, “fierce” competition and falling prices.

Due to the continuing weak solar market conditions and “significant” negative cash flow, REC is considering the permanent closure of three wafer facilities and one cell plant in Norway. Around 700 employees are expected to be affected.

It has been reported that Bosch, looking to enter the photovoltaic inverter business, has created a new subsidiary.

Isofoton North America will build its first U.S. photovoltaic module manufacturing plant, having secured financial support worth USD$30.8 million.