Solar Glass

And module manufacturer Trina Solar announced on Monday afternoon that the company has signed an agreement with the government of Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, for the construction of a 10 GW solar module factory.

According to a British-Swedish research team, the down‐shifting process for solar glass manufacturing can be improved through the use of two dopant cations that produce no absorption bands. The doping with these compounds is said to reduce the UV transmission while also keeping the glass free from absorption in the visible and near-infrared ranges.

Researchers have matched the tinting of semi-transparent PV modules with the bandwidth of light that plants absorb for photosynthesis. A promising trial with basil and spinach has opened up economic opportunities for farmers.

Two solar glass makers kicked off the week with new deals and solid earnings reports while the Chinese government revealed it may issue bonds to fund clean energy incentives.

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.