Markets

SunLink PV with its headquarters in Zhangjiagang, China, last week reduced its photovoltaic cell production capacity by 50 percent in light of reduced European demand and better pricing from third party cell suppliers.

While the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, protesting against financial injustice, has spread to many cities in the U.S., Europe and even China, a global “Occupy Roofs” solar initiative is being launched out of California.

The latest report on the world’s electricity future from the International Energy Agency (IEA), delivered late last week, forecasts a conservative outlook for the development of photovoltaics until 2035. EuPD Research says that such an outlook underestimates the competitiveness of photovoltaics specifically, and renewables in general.

Day4 Energy has announced that 28 employees will be let go as part of cost cutting measures designed to weather the current solar storm. It has also signed a letter of intent with Ever Energy Ltd to merge its operations, and announced a new CEO.

Set to be one of solar’s biggest topics of 2011 – a year already riddled with immense price pressure, insolvencies and investment issues – the U.S.-Chinese trade war is heating up. SEMI is the latest participant to make public its disgruntled feelings towards the petition. Meanwhile, CASM has vented its frustration at CASM’s defense of China’s “anti-competitive trade aggression”.

Following the publication of the medium-term forecast for Germany’s Renewable Energy Act [EEG] reallocation measures, economic policymakers from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are now demanding a cost limitation. Once again, they are attempting to incite discussion about a ceiling for photovoltaics.

Australia’s only photovoltaic panel producer has suspended all of its manufacturing operations. Most of its employees have been made redundant.

New research has revealed that newly added global photovoltaic capacity will grow from 19 gigawatts (GW) in 2010, to reach 24 GW this year. Meanwhile, Italy will overtake Germany to become the world’s leading country in terms of installed capacity.

Germany-based Solon has also suffered from the downturn in the global solar market. In the first nine months of 2011, it recorded losses across the board. In particular, the company’s EBIT was significantly affected.

The third Solarcon India has wrapped up in Hyderabad. One of the key takeaways from the event, held from November 9 to 11, is the great potential for job creation through American-Indian collaboration. Meanwhile, the looming European debt crisis made its presence felt.