Global PV markets

GCL-Poly Limited and CGN Solar Energy Development Co. Ltd. have entered into a cooperative framework agreement under which a one gigawatt (GW) solar project is expected to be realized.

The German Liberal Party (FDP) leader is looking to place a one gigawatt (GW) cap on solar subsidies. Federal Minister for the Environment Röttgen has swiftly rejected the demand, however. He has also said he wishes to preserve the existing subsidy system.

The 12th Forum Solarpraxis kicked off on Thursday, designed to unite the movers and shakers of the industry in Berlin to discuss the issues currently facing the PV industry. Yet the clash between the pre-organised themes for the first day and the participants desire to look to the future outside of the German industry seemed to present a bit of a problem.

If module manufacturers and photovoltaic equipment suppliers were looking to the U.S. for markets to compensate for weak European demand, they may be set to be disappointed, a new report has warned.

Bridge to India’s Mohit Anand discusses the solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) landscape in India. In addition to identifying the main players, he also looks at their proposed photovoltaic pipelines.

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.

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.

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.