Sungrow plans 3 GW inverter fab in India
Sungrow, the world’s second largest inverter supplier, according to GTM research, has announced plans to establish production facilities in India. The Chinese inverter company is aiming to strengthen its global delivery capability by setting up central and string inverter facilities in the state of Karnataka. The fab would be its first outside of China.
Order situation ‘weakening’ for German equipment suppliers, says VDMA
After a strong finish to 2017, Germany’s equipment suppliers are looking at weaker demand in 2018, although the industry still expects sales growth of 9.2% this year, according to the latest Business Climate Survey published by the German Engineering Federation’s Photovoltaic Equipment Group.
Longi half cut PERC module exceeds 360 W
Longi is progressing at breakneck speed, having announced yet another world record. This time, the Chinese manufacturer says its 120-cell half-cut monocrystalline PERC module has exceeded 360 W.
Strong sales for Germany’s equipment makers in Q4 2017 – VDMA
According to the latest report published by the German Engineering Association (Verbandes Deutsches Maschinenbau Anlagen, or VDMA), solar equipment sales for German tool makers increased by 117% in Q4 2017, compared with the previous quarter.
Meyer Burger to appeal Chinese ruling in patent infringement lawsuit
Meyer Burger (Switzerland) Ltd has said it will appeal the decision by a Chinese court to dismiss claims that Wuxi Shangji Automation Co. Ltd has infringed on its patented wire wrapping system.
GCL-Poly Energy offers $110m loan to subsidiary
China’s GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has agreed to lend US$110 million to GNE Development, a wholly owned unit of the group.
Indian government mandates stringent quality controls for solar equipment
In a much-awaited move, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has mandated that, effective April 16, 2018, all solar equipment manufacturers will have to register their equipment with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Demand for silver in global PV industry rose 19% in 2017, says Silver Institute
Approximately 76% of silver demand in the solar PV industry was used last year in frontside pastes, while the remaining 24% was used in backside pastes. Comoditization, however, is having detrimental effects on producers’ margins.
The weekend read: On track for quality improvement
China continues to grow in importance as a key source of components for solar trackers produced by the world’s leading tracker companies, in part since improvements in Chinese quality control have advanced significantly over the last few years.
Webinar Q&A: Reaching higher standards with cell and module innovation
The next generation of solar PV modules will see different technologies combined at both the cell and module level. That was the main conclusion of a recent pv magazine webinar, powered by JinkoSolar. Overall, a great deal of interest from participants was generated. Here, Andrea Viaro, Head of Technical Service Europe for JinkoSolar, responds to their questions.
