Chinese PV Industry Brief: Tongwei secures $1.38 billion for polysilicon business
Tongwei says it will bring in strategic investors for its polysilicon subsidiary, Sichuan Yongxiang Co., raising CNY 10 billion ($1.38 billion) at a CNY 27 billion valuation, with investors acquiring a stake up to 27.03%.
History of U.S. tariffs and how they relate to solar
Days after entering office, the Trump administration announced tariffs on key US trading partners. While Canada and Mexico negotiated a one-month stay, it appears tariffs are set to play an even larger role in US trade policy through 2029. Paula Mints examines the history of U.S. tariffs with a focus on the solar industry.
German startup launches bidirectional charging kit for EVs
Energy Island Power, a German startup, has developed a connection kit that allows electric vehicle owners to use their car’s power to support home energy needs by integrating with the solar inverter and the home grid.
Six-year test field shows agrivoltaics can be critical for rice productivity
Scientists in Japan have conducted a field experiment in rice plantations hosting agrivoltaics systems and have found that rice growth can be affected by reduced biomass and reduced panicle number. However, their analysis has also shown that gross return in lowland rice agrivoltaics can be 14 times higher than rice growth without PV.
Using surplus solar power to pre-cool, pre-heat homes
Scientists in Australia have shown how pre-cooling and pre-heating could be implemented in Australian buildings with the support of excess solar power. Their analysis has demonstrated that summer has the highest potential for air conditioning demand reduction.
Gstar’s wafer factory in Indonesia gets monocrystalline growth furnaces
Singapore-based solar manufacturer Gstar Solar has received the first of 120 monocrystalline growth furnaces to be delivered to its new 3 GW wafer manufacturing facility in Indonesia.
US solar module prices rise as market absorbs tariffs
US solar module prices rose in December 2024 for the first time since last summer, driven by tariff adjustments and patent litigation uncertainty, according to Anza. While prices have since stabilized, module type, cell origin, and geopolitical factors continue to shape the market.
Spain offers €200 million grant for solar ingot, wafer factory
Sunwafe SL has secured the largest share of Spain’s €297.3 million ($321.6 million) fund for clean energy manufacturing, as the government boosts support for domestic production.
TCL launches TCL SunPower Global unit
The Chinese group announced the new TCL SunPower Global unit will operate mostly in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, selling SunPower-branded solar energy solutions alongside TCL’s own solar products.
Mibet launches new floaters for PV systems on deep water
Mibet has released new floaters for PV systems deployed in deep water. The G4M system, already installed in Indonesia on a body of water with a depth of 60 meters, allows the solar panels to be tilted at 5 degrees to 15 degrees.
