Taiwan: Schedule agreed for three-way solar merger
A timetable has been set for the merger of three of Taiwan’s largest solar cell manufacturers, according to reports from the state-owned Central News Agency. The companies held separate board meetings last week and confirmed the transaction is set to be completed on October 1.
Solar distributed generation sees strong growth in Brazil
According to a new report published by consultancy Greener, the price of DG systems keeps falling in Brazil and total installed capacity has surpassed 308 MW. In the first half of the year, newly installed capacity was around 126 MW – more than the country installed in all of last year.
Sale of controlling stake in China’s largest poly maker falls through
Shanghai Electric’s move to take over GCL-Poly’s Jiangsu Zhongneng has fallen through because conditions are not ‘mature enough’. The development, announced this afternoon to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, will be closely watched by the global solar industry.
Prices begin to stabilize, though falling revenues and job losses expected among Chinese manufacturers
According to reports from Energy Trend, a 30% decline in PV demand from China this year will likely spell trouble for some of the country’s major module manufacturers, with job losses and factory closures expected, despite China’s determination to open new international markets for its PV industry.
Quality issues in Indian PV projects jeopardizing investments – report
Wildlife vandalism is the least of the worries afflicting PV system owners in India, according to a report which exposes cost-cutting in installation, non-existent warranties, serious safety concerns and improbable performance figures.
Kyocera reports falling revenues for solar business
Japanese electronics company & cell/module manufacturer, Kyocera has reported improved overall financials for the first quarter of the Japanese financial year, with a 12.3% increase in revenues. For the company’s activities in solar, however, signs are less encouraging.
SunPower to shift IBC solar production to new technology
The PV maker plans to shift its 800 MW of E-Series production to its new NGT technology, as it records a massive loss on depreciation of its old equipment. The move was revealed in second-quarter figures featuring plenty of red ink.
Turkey’s Smart Energy talks quality and customer proximity – Video interview
Turkish EPC and module manufacturer, Smart Energy highlighted the importance of high-quality products and the perks of operating a giga-fab right at the gates of Europe to pv magazine at this year’s Intersolar Europe.
First Solar sees manufacturing hiccups, but bookings remain strong
The thin film PV maker reports difficulties in ramping its new Series 6 product, as well as pressure from module price collapses.
India’s trade war will have global repercussions
India is currently the second largest market in the world for PV module demand. With China’s domestic demand frozen since the 31/5 notification, the country’s total module demand in 2018 will likely only achieve 32-34 GW. This will allow India, which may surpass 10 GW in annual demand, to reach 13% of global PV demand this year. As a result, the future of India’s trade war has become an influential factor in the global PV industry.
