Markets & Policy

Hit by unexpected liabilities related to its former management, including a $96 million lawsuit by U.S. polysilicon producer Hemlock, government demands to return subsidies and a refusal by banks to refinance its growing debt, Spanish PV giant Isofotón has been forced to file for restructuring proceedings.

Photovoltaic module manufacturer Trina Solar Limited has announced their first quarter results for 2013. Module shipments saw a sequential decrease and Europe continued to bring the largest revenue slice for Trina Solar. Domestic sales saw a fall.

Yingli Green Energy’s net loss more than doubled in the first quarter of the year to CNY 611.8 million ($98.5 million, €75.6 million) as PV module shipments declined, resulting in a 15% drop in revenue to CNY 2.68 billion ($431.4 million). The group also announced a new finance chief as well as major deal in South Africa for 96 MW of PV modules for a new solar plant.

While the politics surrounding the EU tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic modules continues to play out, possible effects of the tariffs are beginning to emerge. Manufacturers in Taiwan look set to benefit, but whether European cell and wafer capacity is ready or adequate to pick up the rest of the slack is yet to be seen.

Information and analytics provider IHS Inc. has released a new report that shows a total installed PV capacity of 1.5 GW in Japan in the first quarter of 2013. The strong growth is expected to carry on throughout 2013.

Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. narrowed its net loss in the first quarter as higher shipments boosted overall revenue.

Declining shipments, price pressure and a downturn in the domestic market took their toll on SolarWorld’s bottom line in the first quarter of the year: the one-time industry leader saw a significant drop in revenue while losses swelled dramatically.

Boston-based Lux Research has released a new report “Finding the Perfect Partner in the Global Grid Storage Market” that pinpoints strategic valuable partnerships as the key to success for developers as the storage market continues to grow. The Americas are slated to lose grid storage market share while Europe will see an expansion.

Greentech Energy Systems A/S plans to invest in the United States, as business in Europe remains low.

Germany’s SMA Solar Technology AG is planning to set up new inverter production facilities in South Africa in an effort to not only meet increasing PV demand but also local content requirements in the fast growing market.