The pv magazine weekly news digest
The U.S. and U.K. continue to go their separate ways on renewables, encouraging data from Germany warms the solar cockles, and a new solar mapping tool raises the roof across the U.S.
Yingli profit margin halved in preliminary Q2 financials
Gross margin of sales expected to be between 6-7% for the second quarter, a fall of 50% on Q1’s 14.1% margin; scant preliminary data points to increased module shipments at discounted prices in China.
Honduras: 232 MW of PV projects receive three cent bonus
Eight solar PV projects in the Central American nation have received an additional US$0.03/kWh bonus for reaching completion by an August 1 deadline. Honduras’ feed-in tariff is driving rapid solar market growth.
LDK Solar to supply 67MW for Thai PV project
LDK Solar will be supplying 67 MW of PV modules to a PV project in Thailand under a module supply agreement it signed with EA Solar Phitsanulok.
Solyndra misled government to secure $535m loan guarantee, investigation finds
Four-year probe finds that the bankrupt solar company misrepresented facts and omitted key information in securing federal loan guarantee under stimulus program.
ITRPV handed over to German VDMA
The Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, better known as SEMI, has handed over the coordination of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) to German association VDMA.
BYD completes 1MW PV plant in Germany
Chinese manufacturer BYD has completed a 1MW solar PV plant in partnership with EPC Fenecon in Altenau, Germany. BYD says the use of its glass-glass modules increases lifetime to 40 years.
India's local content requirements violate global trade rules, finds WTO
World Trade Organization rules against India in U.S.-led dispute over the country’s local content requirements for its solar industry; government likely to appeal decision.
Foresight Solar Fund snaps up 34.7 MW UK solar farm
Acquisition of the solar plant in English county of Wiltshire boosts company’s net portfolio of British solar assets to 322 MW.
India one of top three export markets for Chinese modules
The Chinese PV sector imported 12 GW of solar modules in the first half of 2015. Of this, over 6 GW were to Japan, India and the U.S. according to EnergyTrend’s latest report. More consolidation is also in the horizon.
