Abound Solar drops 180 employees as it changes PV lines
U.S.-based Abound Solar has temporarily cut 180 permanent jobs as it cancels the manufacture of its first-generation photovoltaic modules. The decision took immediate effect.
BIPV glass markets to rise rapidly
A new report looking at the building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glass market predicts that its market value will rise by at least 400 percent over the next five years. It also highlights the firms to watch and explains why Suntech could transform the market.
JinkoSolar opens module testing lab
China-based JinkoSolar has opened a “cutting edge” photovoltaic module testing laboratory in Chinas Jiangxi. The manufacturer aims to conduct test programs independently.
"Highly competitive" pricing from Tier 2 Chinese PV module manufacturers
IMS Research has found that while annualized photovoltaic module price declines have slowed, Chinese Tier 2 manufacturers are implementing “highly competitive” pricing strategies.
AUO to market solar products under BenQ brand name
AU Optronics has said it will market its solar products under the brand name BenQ Solar. The move is in line with its “Global Operation, Local Delivery” business strategy.
Solar Junction scales up HCPV manufacturing
Having secured US$19.2 million in financing, Solar Junction says it will be scaling up capacity of its multi-junction high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) cells to 50 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2012.
DuPont and Yingli sign $100 million PV materials agreement
DuPont and Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limiteds subsidiary, Yingli Energy (China) Company Limited have signed a strategic photovoltaic materials agreement worth US$100 million.
Polysilicon prices continue to drop for solar
Lower polysilicon prices and higher photovoltaic module efficiencies are expected to further lower crystalline silicon (c-Si) module prices in 2012, according to Brett Prior, a senior analyst at U.S.-based GTM Research, the market research arm of Greentech Media, in Boston.
Conflicting 2011 PV inverter figures released
According to one research company, the photovoltaic inverter industry experienced a “record” year in 2011, with shipments increasing by up to 15 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, a second has reported that growth actually declined by one percent from 2010.
HCPV efficiency of 33.9 percent reached
Semprius has recorded an efficiency of 33.9 percent on one of its high concentrating photovoltaic (HCPV) modules. The results have been verified by the Instituto de Energia Solar (IES) at the University of Madrid, in Spain.
