Ben Willis

Thin-film manufacturer and utility-scale PV plant developer First Solar revealed one of its projects had become the first of its kind to receive a Quality Tested certification from testing institutes VDE and Fraunhofer ISE. Ben Willis spoke to First Solar and VDE to learn more about the process and its wider implications for the large-scale solar sector.

Time is fast running out for the US and Chinese to reach a negotiated settlement to their ongoing solar trade dispute, according to a leading expert on the case.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is to provide US$53 million to fund 40 R&D projects aimed at slashing the cost of solar.

US thin-film giant First Solar’s Macho Springs project in New Mexico has become the first PV plant to receive the system-level ‘Quality Tested’ certification from testing institute VDE and Fraunhofer ISE.

The US solar trade case continues to cast a shadow over the buoyant American PV market. Ben Willis spoke to the originators of the case, SolarWorld, at SPI 2014 to see if they stand by their actions.

The US has seen a surge of Chinese and Taiwanese PV imports as companies seek to secure low-cost product ahead of the imposition of trade duties.

Investment firm KKR has acquired a stake in the renewable energy arm of Spanish conglomerate Acciona ahead of plans to launch a yield co.

The board of Chinese PV manufacturer Hanergy has approved a change of name for the company.

TMEIC, the inverter manufacturing alliance between Toshiba and Mitsubishi, has become the latest growing Asian inverter supplier to enter the US market.

Chinese manufacturer JA Solar claims to have achieved a record 20% conversion efficiency in one of its multicrystalline PV cells.