Weekend Read: A manufacturing bridge between Europe and Asia
A combination of protectionist measures, attractive profit margins, and domestic content incentives has revitalized Turkey’s solar manufacturing industry. Jonathan Gifford asks whether the resurgent sector can become a player on the world stage.
Euro solar is Surfacing
M10 Solar Equipment, a German joint venture, may have shown Europe’s solar manufacturers how to scale their gigafactories by using Siemens’ plant simulation software to ramp up production of its innovative shingled-matrix solar cell production equipment, explains Tobias Wachtmann, director of global glass and solar for Siemens.
A true beginning – how the IRA persuaded us to invest in the US
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has opened a new door for US solar manufacturers, as one of the executives behind a US-Jordanian project to bring PV production to the US explains.
No let-up in sight for polysilicon price hikes
A prominent analyst in China expects the price of the solar panel raw material to pass CNY 300 ($44.70) per kg soon and says the sky-high prices will continue at least through September.
SolarEdge expects to break more records in Q1
SolarEdge has reported record revenue in its latest three-month update and expects to have even more business in the second quarter, even if gross margin and profit has declined.
AI method learns from experienced staff on perovskite solar production lines
Academics from MIT and Stanford who have posited a new production method for perovskite solar cells have also developed a machine learning system which benefits from the experience of seasoned workers – and they’ve posted it online for anyone to use.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: It’s boom time for solar in the world’s PV capital
Big numbers from polysilicon and cell maker Tongwei and the latest government statistics indicate the nation is in the midst of a flood of solar capacity additions at the moment.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Wafer prices rise as Aiko Solar halts shares offering
Manufacturers Longi and Zhonghuan Semiconductor have both raised the price of their 182mm wafers while holding the cost of their other products as rival Shuangliang Eco-energy signed deals for more wafer production equipment.
Perovskite technology – beyond efficiency records
Technological innovation in PV is taking place in the context of extreme price competition among solar manufacturers, writes Karl Melkonyan, senior analyst for solar demand at IHS Markit. This, he argues, explains the focus on lowering manufacturing costs, increasing efficiencies, and reducing losses at all stages of the manufacturing process.
