Manufacturing

German customs officers executed two arrest warrants during the Smarter E show in Munich. The public prosecutor’s office in Nuremberg-Fürth also confirmed another arrest, connected to an existing investigation of a Chinese PV manufacturer. The arrested executives were allegedly involved in commercial smuggling of solar modules, the customs authorities and prosecutor told pv magazine. The authorities believe minimum import prices for crystalline solar modules from China, in effect until September, were circumvented and millions of euros in payments were evaded.

In the petition, the manufacturers claim their Korean rival’s patent assertions should be declared invalid as there is evidence the innovations they refer to were either not new or were obvious steps forward.

The polysilicon, ingot, wafer, cell and module giant made two huge announcements this week, with plans to almost double wafer manufacturing capacity just as it moves to sell off its PV project development business to state-owned energy giant China Huaneng Group.

That goal could easily be achieved judging by the company’s first-quarter results, Qiao said during an interview with pv magazine at Intersolar Europe. He also pronounced himself happy with Growatt’s performance in TÜV testing and with progress in the hybrid inverter segment.

In a conversation with pv magazine, REC vice-president for sales in the EMEA region Ivano Zanni describes the new strategy of the Norwegian manufacturer following the launch of its high-efficiency, half-cut mono n-type heterojunction module. REC expects annual production capacity for the panels at its factory in Singapore to increase to 600 MW by the end of next year, and that the company’s total capacity will reach 2 GW.

New modules incorporating American company 1366 Technologies’ 3D direct wafers were unveiled yesterday at the SNEC trade show in Shanghai. The prototype modules are produced by Korean manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells. The two companies have a strategic partnership going back several years, and are ramping up a wafer factory near Q Cells’ module facilities in Malaysia.

At Intersolar Europe, Gamesa Electric’s solar sales director, Enrique de la Cruz explained the key to ensuring high reliability and a low energy price with the company’s new central inverter offering.

The modules will be used by U.K. developer Solarcentury for its Cabrera and Talayuela Solar projects in southern Spain.

The former director of Fraunhofer ISE will be officially elected at a general assembly planned for September. The ESCM wants a strong Europe to be part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and also pay attention to sustainability.

At Intersolar Europe in Munich, pv magazine caught up with Solis to speak about the company’s latest inverter products.