Markets

Legislation that would have provided customers of California’s three major utilities – Southern California Edison (SCE) San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) – with access to virtual, net-metered photovoltaic energy was blocked in the state’s Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce on August 31.

Taiwanese semiconductor giant, TSMC announced today that modules with efficiencies reaching 14.2% are rolling off its lines. TSMC produces CIGS thin film modules, utilizing technology licensed from Californian startup, Stion.

Solon Corporation’s new VP and GM of power plants, Jared Schoch discusses his plans for growing the company’s North American photovoltaic business, the financing landscape in the region, and the impact of Microsol’s recent takeover of Solon SE with pv magazine.

On the back of 180% market growth in 2011, the latest industry figures indicate that microinverter and power optimizer shipments will grow over 70% in 2012. By 2016, they are expected to comprise 10% of the photovoltaic inverter market. Three suppliers currently dominate the landscape.

Spain-based Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente has announced plans to downsize its photovoltaic equipment plant in Puertollano, Ciudad Real, in order to “adapt resources and labor costs to the activity in the photovoltaic sector”. 290 jobs will be cut.

Chinese government officials have used economic cooperation talks between Germany and China, to raise the topic that a bilateral solution could be reached between the 2 countries to avoid a potential photovoltaic trade war.

Chinese manufacturer Trina Solar announced today that it is opening a sales and business development office in Santiago, Chile. The new site will give the company coverage throughout the Americas including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Applications worth over 2.4 GW of newly installed capacity have been submitted in Chile in 2012. While a good proportion may never go ahead, it indicates very rapid growth in the South American market.

With its high solar radiation and growing demand for energy, North Africa is set to become a big future solar market. pv magazine spoke with expert Khaled Nasraoui, co-founder and deputy CEO of Tunisian-based producer Aurasol about the current situation in the region, and its potential.

The government of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria announced today that it will cut its photovoltaic FIT for the second time this year. The FIT paid will be reduced from AU$0.25/kWh (US$0.26) to $0.08kWh (US$0.08), approximately less than half of the retail price of electricity charged to consumers.