Manufacturing

Q-Cells has begun work on what it says is Europe’s largest photovoltaic park. Located near Berlin, Germany, the 91 megawatt (MW) project is expected to supply energy to around 22,500 households.

The Asia Pacific PV Expo closed on a positive note today as the pre-monsoon rain drizzled outside the Marina Bay Sands convention center. The numbers were perhaps not as high as what many exhibitors had expected, but the companies present told pv magazine it was the quality of the visitors who stopped by their booths, and not the quantity that counted.

Refusing to be intimidated by scandal-starved Republicans, the Obama Administration pushed back on October 28 – not only declining to provide more documentation on the spectacular collapse of the California-based solar company, Solyndra LLC, but also mandating its own independent, 60-day review of Energy Department loans.

Flywheel energy storage solutions company, Beacon Power has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, which among other products, offers cloud mitigation for photovoltaic plants, received a Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee in April.

Day two of the PV Asia Pacific Expo has focused on the issue of alternative solar technologies. Questions like why anyone would switch from crystalline technology to technologies like thin film were posed.

LDK Solar today held a ground breaking ceremony for its new 30,000 metric ton (MT) polysilicon manufacturing facility in Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia. The company believes “strong” polysilicon demand will be seen in 2014 “and beyond”.

Suntech’s founder and CEO, Zhengrong Shi has said the company may reduce some of its production capacity in the first quarter of 2012. In other news, he has been appointed the first chief chairman of the Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA).

Today marked the opening of the PV Asia Pacific Expo at the Marina Bay Sands convention center Singapore. The event, which will be held until November 3, was kicked off with the announcement that Suntech’s founder and CEO has been appointed the new the chief chairman of APVIA. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia’s solar importance has been highlighted.

Wacker Chemie AG has reported a relatively positive third quarter (Q3) 2011. However, the company is cautious about both the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries going forward. As a result, it has lowered its full year guidance.

Two photovoltaic facilities have been brought online in Gila Bend. Worth 17 megawatts (MW) each, they represent the first facilities to reach commercial operation under the AZ Sun Program.