Markets

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.

Chinese module manufacturer, JinkoSolar has said it will supply South Africa’s first off grid utility scale photovoltaic system. The 1 MW plant will supply electricity to a chrome mine in the Limpopo province, in the north east of the country.

The German Federal Network Agency announced a total of 4.9 GW in new photovoltaic installations from the beginning of the current year to July 31. That represents nearly double as much as in the same period last year.

2013 is set to see increased photovoltaics support in Poland. While many expect the new law – and generous subsidies – to boost the country’s solar industry, there are already fears the government’s conservative capacity estimates could cause the kind of boom and bust cycle seen in markets like Spain and the Czech Republic. The questions on everyone’s lips are: will the law come into force as planned; and is the government adequately prepared for the anticipated uptake?