Legal

The European Commission says a clarification of rules of origin tightens import regulations for Chinese modules, preventing manufacturers from selling goods from third countries.

Industry source says defining module origins according to their cell manufacture renders the summer’s import cap meaningless. According to source, the remaining purely ‘Chinese’ modules will be far short of 7 GW.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has reportedly issued a strongly worded riposte to the U.S. over its latest anti-dumping and countervailing duty probes. China has also issued a veiled warning to EU manufacturers.

The U.S. subsidiary of Portugal’s Martifer Solar has sought creditor protection on the basis that it has sufficient assets to meet third-party obligations.

News of a ban on the big four accountants auditing U.S.-listed Chinese solar companies is more grim news for manufacturers. The development came on the day the SEC confirmed its latest AD and CVD probes.

The solar farm management group hopes to raise £150 million (€180 million) to invest in UK solar projects by floating NextEnergy Solar Fund Ltd on the London Stock Exchange.

A promise to remove trade barriers on solar goods by politicians at Davos is a world away from the latest solar trade war between the power blocs which erupted overnight.

For Germany’s big renewable energy players, clarity is of the utmost importance. For Belectric, the introduction of a tender system for ground-mounted PV plants can’t come soon enough.

A draft plan to revamp Germany’s renewable energy subsidy program calls for self-consumption fees, FIT cuts, the introduction of a PV tender system and limits on new capacity expansion.

The U.S. International Trade Commission is looking to see whether unfair advantages enjoyed by PV imports from China and Taiwan have damaged the domestic solar industry.