Manufacturing

SMA Solar Technology AG has officially opened its new photovoltaic sales and service subsidiary in Japan’s Tokyo. While the small system market will be focused on initially, the German manufacturer will offer inverters to larger projects in the future.

During a conference held in Brussels last week, George Papaconstantinou, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of the Hellenic Republic, unveiled Greece’s plans for the massive 10 gigawatt (GW) photovoltaic project.

A new report looking at the building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glass market predicts that its market value will rise by at least 400 percent over the next five years. It also highlights the firms to watch and explains why Suntech could transform the market.

SolarWorld has once again has managed to exceed the €1 bilion revenue mark. Despite this, the company recorded massive EBIT losses in 2011.

Both industry and politicians alike have reacted with outrage at Germany’s new FIT plans. According to one analyst, EPC players will be the hardest hit. However, there is still time for changes. The question is, will they be for the better or worse? On one side are the politicians calling for further cuts, and on the other, is the “20 percent” hope that improvements could still be made.

Italian photovoltaic panel manufacturer, MX Group has been awarded the exclusive EPC contract for the design and construction of a one gigawatt (GW) solar farm that will extend over an area of 3,000 acres in Serbia.

Solyndra’s failed CIGs factory is up for sale. Jones Lang LaSalle has been engaged to market the building, located in Fremont, California.

Various media sources have reported that Korean electronics giants, Samsung and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) are looking to significantly scale-back their solar businesses. However, according to the companies, the rumors are false.

As was reported yesterday, Germany’s politicians have made some serious changes to the country’s pioneering feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme. Specifically, a one-off cut will be applied in March, monthly tariff reductions will begin in May, the maximum size of photovoltaic plants that can receive a tariff has been capped, and just 85 to 90 percent of solar energy produced will receive support.

New research has found that although balance of systems (BoS) revenues are forecast to fall in 2012 due to price erosion, they will increase over the next four years to hit US$24 billion in 2016. Meanwhile, tracking systems are expected to represent the biggest growth segment.