Mark Osborne

Leading monocrystalline wafer producer and ‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, LONGi Green Energy and subsidiary, LONGi Solar respectively, have continued an unprecedented sales run, notching up first 2021 revenue (operating income) of RMB 15.85 billion (US$2.44 billion), its second highest quarterly figures.

Major PV inverter manufacturer SolarEdge Technologies has guided a return to overall business growth in 2021, due primarily to strong market demand in Europe and the US as well as the rollout of its residential energy storage product.

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member First Solar has hit a nameplate Series 6 CdTe thin film manufacturing capacity of 7.9GW in the first quarter of 2021, after ramping its second and last converted factory in Malaysia.

TE Connectivity (TE) has launched a new plug and splice connector that is intended to reduce installation steps for PV power plants.

Mark Osborne provides in-depth analysis of LONGi's new 2021 guidance and its capacity expansion plans, as the solar industry's new shipments leader aims to break away from the rest of the pack.

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Solar has reported total PV module shipments of 24.53GW in 2020, setting a new industry shipment record and leapfrogging rivals to become the largest PV manufacturer in the world for the first time.

A new PV manufacturing start-up, Greenland, is collaborating with Fraunhofer ISE and Bosch Rexroth on a 5GW highly automated and integrated manufacturing facility in Spain.

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar is planning to launch its first N-type heterojunction (HJ) PV modules in the second half of 2021, PV Tech can reveal.

Major China-based polysilicon producer Xinte Energy is to expand polysilicon production by 20,000MT to meet ongoing demand from its plant in Xinjiang province, despite recently announcing plans to build a planned 200,000MT plant near the city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia.

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar has confirmed its founder and chairman, Jin Baofang had returned to work at the company.