Italy's Solarexpo 2016 cancelled due to market decline
The 17th edition of Italy’s Solarexpo-The Innovation Cloud exhibition and conference event, originally scheduled for May 3-5, has been postponed to an unspecified date.
Heraeus Photovoltaics establishes new lab in Japan
The regional product modification center will strengthen the company’s R&D presence in the Asia Pacific region and accelerate innovation for customers, Heraeus said.
Jinko ships 1.7 GW in Q4, revenues double YoY
Jinko Solar has registered record Q4 2015 shipments of 1.71 GW, bringing its annual shipment total module shipments to 4.51 GW. Revenues have surged to US$937.7 million for the quarter and $2.8 billion full year (FY), although gross margin declined YoY by 2.1% to 20.3%.
Daimler to follow Tesla with new 500 million lithium-ion battery factory
The battery subsidiary of German carmaker Daimler will begin construction of a new 500 million (US$544 million) lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in the third quarter of this year. The factory will produce batteries for electric and hybrid Mercedes-Benz and smart cars, along with stationary storage products for commercial and residential customers.
NREL researchers push past 1V CdTe cell barrier
A research team lead by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed a technique by which cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV cells can be produced with an open-circuit voltage exceeding 1 volt. The team claims the development will allow for further increase CdTe conversion efficiencies and represents a “crucial milestone” in the technology’s evolution.
Chinese polysilicon imports hit a record high in January
Data from Chinese customs shows the import of polysilicon reached a new record volume in January 2016 at 12,388 tons, 19% over December levels.
Shanghai Electric invests in Manz, German equipment supplier to stay in solar segment
Manz has announced a strategic collaboration with Shanghai Electric that will enable the German equipment supplier to continue its operations in the solar industry. Manz will increase its number of shares, from todays value, by 43%. This will allow Shanghai Electric to purchase 29.9% of shares in Manz, under the new issuance.
JA Solar ups Q4 2015 shipment, revenue guidance
Leading PV cell and producer JA Solar has upped its Q4 2015 shipment guidance from 1.1 to 1.2 GW to 1.32 to 1.35 GW. When announcing its Q4 and full-year 2015 on March 15, JA Solar is now expected to announce FY shipments between 3.92 to 3.95 GW.
SolarCity creates new $249 million fund
SolarCity will launch a new tax equity fund, to finance $249 million of residential solar installations. The financing partner in the deal has not been identified, but SolarCity reports that it is the fourth fund the two firms have created in partnership.
Suniva partners with DMSolar in Mexico
The Georgia-based company is expanding its footprint in Mexico, where the market is hungry for high-quality and high-powered U.S.-made solar PV products.
