SunPower to construct largest power plant in the U.S. for Florida Power & Light Company - 10 July 2008
Applied Materials gains first Italian ‘SunFab’ customer - 09 July 2008
Canadian Solar commits to five new contracts totalling 14.9MW - 07 July 2008
Applied Materials breaks ground at Singapore Operations Center - 08 July 2008
Thin-film start-up Sencera invests $36.8 million in 38MW plant - 08 July 2008
REC ASA enters several silane supply deals worth close to $1 billion - 18 July 2008
Analysts eye tighter subsidies in Spain for solar industry - 18 July 2008
Global market leader SMA Solar Technology AG accelerates time-to-market with Across - 18 July 2008
Solar gains in popularity - 18 July 2008
Solar panels to join backup power plant at West Side facility - 18 July 2008
China-based
Canadian Solar believes that polysilicon production expansions in the
country have become overheated and that the cost of electricity in the
country is too high to remain cost competitive with other countries
that have lower electricity costs such as Canada, USA and Australia.
Citing Shi Zhengrong, Chairman of Wuxi Suntech Power from December 12, 2007, Canadian Solar said in a press statement that ‘polysilicon investment misfitted the nation.’
“As a matter of fact, it is not practical for China to produce polysilicon, mainly due to such a high electricity charge,” Shi Zhengrong is claimed to have said. “Therefore, I suggest that investors should seek more development opportunities in Canada, the US, Australia, and other countries with a lower electricity charge.”
Canadian Solar said that the PV market had attracted Chinese companies such as Baoding Tianwei Baobian Electric, Chuantou Energy Co., Leshan Electric Power and Sichuan Minjiang Hydropower into the polycrystalline silicon supply market in recent times.
According to Canadian Solar, China has now reached a potential polysilicon capacity of 30,000 tons and hints at a significant fall in polysilicon prices that will see Chinese suppliers struggling to remain competitive in a price war with lower cost producers from other countries, due to the higher electricity prices in China.
However, Canadian Solar reiterated that it was on schedule to build a 3,000-ton silicon wafer project in China with first phase equipment installation due in April 2008 and production ramp later in the summer of 2008 for its own solar cell requirements.
