Spire posts Q1 loss of $2.6 million, 57% drop in sales
Reflecting the manufacturing slowdown in the global PV market, U.S. solar group Spire Corporation has posted a 57% drop in its first quarter revenue to $3.2 million.
Hyundai Heavy exits polysilicon business
The Korean conglomerate Hyundai Heavy Industries has withdrawn its shares from the joint venture Korean Advanced Materials, which manufactures polysilicon, according to a local media report. The sustained downturn in the photovoltaic industry has been blamed for the decision.
Smart meter market is hotting up in China
The smart meter market is burgeoning in China, according to market research company IHS iSuppli, but manufacturers are being hit by a price erosion similar to that which devastated solar panel makers last year.
Armstrong and Symbior Energy to cooperate on 30 MW of PV in Thailand
Armstrong Asset Management and Symbior Energy subsidiary Symbior Solar Siam have announced their intentions to develop 30 MW worth of photovoltaic projects in Thailand.
China: Heraeus opens revamped PV lab
As a side event to the SNEC trade show that will begin tomorrow in Shanghai, metal paste supplier Heraeus has opened an expanded photovoltaics lab at its Chinese branch, the Heraeus Materials Technology Shanghai (HTMS). Despite a temporary downturn in volume, the company continues its expansion into photovoltaics.
MEMC positive on solar outlook
Although polysilicon manufacturer MEMC’s first quarter results paint a picture familiar for companies with solar as part of their offering, the drag of photovoltaics on the balance sheet was not a severe as has been seen elsewhere.
Yingli lands 220 MW module order
Solar module manufacturer Yingli Green Energy has cemented its relationship with the state-owned China Power Investment Corporation by signing a deal to supply 220 MW of its modules to the Chinese government-owned power company.
Thin film loophole to be closed in India
A loophole in the commissioning of solar projects under India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (NSM) which allowed developers to bypass domestic content requirements is set to be closed.
ABB demonstrates solar credentials in Japan
Swiss engineering conglomerate ABB has joined the race for a slice of the lucrative Japanese solar market by demonstrating its solar muscle with a PV installation on one of its factories in the country.
PV wafer production forecast to grow 19% in 2013
After falling 15% in 2012, photovoltaic wafer production is expected to grow 19% this year, passing 30 GW and reaching 2011 levels, due in large part to growing Japanese demand, according to the latest NPD Solarbuzz Polysilicon and Wafer Supply Chain Quarterly.
