Solar Glass

The European Commission has concluded that there are no compelling reasons to scrap definitive countervailing and anti-dumping measures on solar glass imports from China. Currently, the anti-subsidy duties range from 3.2% to 17.1%, while anti-dumping tariffs are between 17.5% and 75.4%.

Seven PV module manufacturers – including JinkoSolar, Longi and JA Solar – won supply contracts this week in a 3 GW procurement round held by China National Nuclear Corp. Flat Glass revealed plans to raise $282.6 million to expand production, while the National Energy Administration reported growth in the residential PV segment.

Xinyi Solar today said it is anticipating a bumper profit from the first half of the year – an announcement likely to bring wry smiles at the board of parent company Xinyi Glass, which soon after announced quite the opposite prospects after selling off shares in the PV subsidiary last year.

Scientists have developed a hybrid production method combining metal mesh and a metal-oxide layer over a glass substrate which they say brings down production cost by 80% compared to the tin-doped, indium oxide-based technology currently in use.

Xinyi Solar reported record profits earlier this month, not surprisingly prompting bullish talk of extending its plans to expand production capacity this year and next. However, with PV demand in Europe key to its returns, the company has accepted the coronavirus epidemic may have an impact this year.

Interfloat Corporation, a European market leader for solar glass, has been bought by Holzverarbeiter HS Timber Group and Blue Minds.

A Turkish research team has analyzed how big changes in temperature can affect absorbance, light transmittance and reflectivity in two types of solar glass. The scientists demonstrated lower efficiency in solar cells and the glass itself were attributable to a large number of micro-cracks and deformations on the glass surface.

The $483 million fab will be built by an unnamed ‘multinational glass manufacturer’ at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, in the Sabah region.

Research from the United States has demonstrated how PV technology can be used to kill cancer cells. Although still at an embryonic stage, the findings of the study and initial test results suggest solar power could be an effective tool in relation to light-activated fluorescent dyes for disease diagnosis, image-guided surgery and site-specific tumor treatment.

The solar plant operations business – spun out of the solar glass manufacturer – reportedly finalized its initial public offering this week. Final confirmation of the proceeds is expected on Monday.