Manufacturing

German PV, battery and display production equipment supplier Manz has continued to post strong revenue growth, despite its figures being weighed down by a weak PV equipment market. The tool supplier posted revenues of €87.3 million (US$108.9 million) for Q3 2014, representing YoY growth of 16%.

Humanity yesterday celebrated an historic step towards unlocking the mysteries of the oldest building blocks of our Solar System: Comets. Solar cells carried the European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe, Philae, onto the first-ever landing on a comet.

U.S. thin film producer and project developer First Solar is looking to hire 120 employees at its Perrysburg Ohio fab. The additional workers are required as First Solar increases its Ohio facility’s output by 100 MW.

Applied Materials has reported another slow quarter in its Energy & Environmental Services division, a sign that recovery in the PV equipment industry is still far off.

The agreement strengthens the company’s financial position not only in the U.S. but globally as well, according to CFO Charlie Cao.

The new solar power system incorporates both battery storage and diesel generation to ensure continuous access to electricity. It is expected to generate 7,500 megawatt hours of power annually, meeting approximately 50% of regional demand.

The countries intend to better promote trade in green goods and clean energy technologies, a goal that is sure to benefit from a planned U.S. trade mission to China in April led by U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.

The leading Indian solar company is investing nearly $150 million in new projects in the states of Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

The company is on-track to deliver the best year in its history in terms of revenue, profitability and megawatt shipment, according to Chairman and CEO Shawn Qu.