Global PV markets

A new joint venture, Georgia PV Project, is targeting over 1.5 gigawatts (GW) worth of photovoltaic installations across the world. It will also set up a module production facility in Georgia.

Brazil’s board of the National Agency of Electrical Energy (ANEEL) has approved two new pieces of solar legislation aimed at improving the country’s domestic industry.

In the wake of First Solar’s dramatic announcement that it was shedding 2,000 jobs, ending production in Germany and idling two production lines in Malaysia, the focus has turned to whether market conditions, feed in tariff cuts (FIT), or the company’s product is behind the drastic measures.

Korea-based STX Group is renowned for its ship building and trading activities. However, since 2009, the company has been steadily ramping up its solar cell production, and launched its first module in 2011. In an interview with pv magazine the company talks about its photovoltaic factory plans and large-scale project ambitions.

Photovoltaic module manufacturer, Canadian Solar Inc. and project developer, SkyPower Limited have formed a joint venture (JV) under which they will install up to 200 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics in Ontario, Canada. They will also develop projects internationally.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its sophisticated think tank, the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), is funding a $30 million research competition that will engage America’s brightest scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in improving the capability of energy storage devices, including batteries.

The 6th China New Energy International Forum (CNEIF) ended on Saturday, April 14, in Beijing with the key conclusion that the Chinese photovoltaic market is full of promise, despite the subsidy cuts in Europe this year and the running investigation of Chinese cell and panel manufacturers in the U.S.

Photovoltaic equipment revenues have hit a 10 quarter (Q) low, according to the latest figures from NPD Solarbuzz. Despite this, the company is optimistic the market will pick up again in 2013, after bottoming-out in Q2 2012. Meyer Burger is expected to be the leading supplier in the first half of the year, and GTAT the overall leader in 2012.

In a no-nonsense interview, Frank Asbeck accuses the energy companies of trying to destroy the solar industry in Germany. He further reiterates his criticisms of Chinese photovoltaic manufacturers.

While the results are still to be confirmed by the German electrical grid regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, the Financial Times Deutschland (FTD) has reported that almost two gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic capacity was added to Germany’s grid in the first quarter (Q1) of this year. The “mini boom” has been widely predicted ahead of the cuts to German remuneration, which came into effect on April 1.