Germany installs 650 MW of PV at start of 2012
650 megawatts (MW) worth of photovoltaics were installed in Germany in January and February, according to preliminary figures from the countrys Federal Network Agency.
SiC Processing closes Norwegian slurry recycling plant
SiC Processing has announced the closure of its slurry recycling plant in Herøya, Norway, following the permanent closure of RECs wafer facilities. Around 100 employees will be affected.
Wacker opens Nünchritz polysilicon production facilities
Wacker Chemi AG has officially opened its “hyperpure” polysilicon facilities in Nünchritz, Germany. The 900 million investment is said to have created over 500 new jobs.
Solar investors react badly to Chinese manufacturing numbers
After a positive start to 2012, solar stocks have given back most of their gains as bad figures coming out of China lead to some significant losses.
China Sunergy suffers significant losses
Solar cell and module manufacturer, China Sunergy, posted significant losses in 2011. Despite this, the Chinese company plans to ramp cell capacity up to one gigawatt (GW).
Bosch affected by PV downturn
At its annual press conference, Bosch says despite the difficult market conditions, sales and profitability for the company have increased: overall, its Industrial Technology business showed the strongest growth. However, due to declining photovoltaics costs, its solar business was significantly affected, leading the company to record a negative EBIT.
IEA: PV concentrated on too few markets; clean energy not being deployed quickly enough
In a new report presented to Ministers at the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said photovoltaics must embrace market diversification if it is to maintain its growth trajectory. Overall, it believes clean energy will deliver substantial savings to countries across the globe, however, these savings are currently not on track to be realized by 2050.
France: More PV FIT cuts announced
The feed-in tariffs (FITs) for new photovoltaic installations up to 100 kilowatt peak (kWp) in France will decrease in the second quarter 2012, for the fifth consecutive time. Over the course of 12 months, they have decreased by more than 30 percent.
REC shuts down last Norwegian wafer faciltiy
The Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (REC) will close its last multicrystalline wafer plant in Herøya, Norway. Around 460 employees will be affected. The company has also released its first quarter (Q1) 2012 results.
US solar market threatened by sharp fall in subsidies by 2014
The Washington, DC-based think-tank, Brookings warned this month that U.S. investment in clean tech is facing a drop in subsidies in the coming two years, in a new report that included extensive coverage of the solar market.
