Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Sanyo’s Hungarian subsidiary has officially opened its new 150 megawatt (MW) solar module production facility in Hungary. Around 300 jobs have been created.

Under a new agreement, JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. is to set up a three gigawatt (GW) production facility in China. BHF Bank expects Roth & Rau to benefit, while Q-Cells will find it hard to compete.

Under a new agreement, Toshiba Corporation has ordered 48 megawatts (MW) worth of solar panels from SunPower Corporation.

Roth & Rau reports that it has received its first order, based on its new turnkey model, from an unnamed Indian telecommunications company.

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. and MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. have joined forces to open an up to one gigawatt (GW) Chinese PV cell production facility.

Q-Cells North America has signed an 83 megawatt solar cell supply agreement with SunPower Corp.

Changes to India’s 2011 to 2012 Union Budget have seen solar modules and lanterns reclassified as renewable energy items, rather than electrical items. This means they are now exempt from customs duty.

Helios USA, LLC has opened a new manufacturing facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over 50 new jobs are expected to be created.

Mounting equipment may not be the most high-profile PV component, but it is a critical piece where innovative designs can make a big difference to costs. In an interview, Unirac executives discuss their strategies for the North American and U.S. solar markets, and the competitive landscape of a sector that is getting crowded.

The CIGS PV market is poised for a comeback according to a new report, which identifies three markets ripe for development, and discusses China’s potential to take the production lead. However, if it wants to make an impact, it must first overcome its manufacturing hurdles.