Recent history has not been kind to PV manufacturers that climb the rankings chart to become the global leader. Since 2007 when the industry really started to breakout of being a cottage industry and scale production, Sharp began a slow fall from the top, Suntech and First Solar both had short stays at the top and more recently, Yingli Green. After two years as the leading PV manufacturer, measured by module shipments, the company lost the top spot to Trina Solar in 2014.
Tier-one integrated PV manufacturer ReneSola already shifting its business model away from OEM production supply to bundled services as well as shifting its module sales to higher margin markets and away from the US and China with greater focus on its downstream project business.
German-based thermoplastic films producer RENOLIT Group is entering the PV module backsheet material sector, launching its product offering at Intersolar Europe.
An EU funded R&D project has been launched to achieve commercially viable CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) thin-film cells with 25% conversion efficiencies.
PV project developer Solar Power, Inc (SPI) said it would certain assets of German-based PV distributor, Energiebau Solar Power. Financial details were not disclosed.
Equipment specialist GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) said it was assessing fire damage to the former Apple sapphire making equipment housed in the Arizona facility that caught fire last week due to a potentially faulty PV rooftop array.
Singapore-based integrated PV module manufacturer REC Solar ASA has reported module sales down 16% quarter-on-quarter due to weaker demand in Europe and declining ASPs.
Tier-one integrated PV manufacturer Yingli Green Energy has been hit with several US-based proposed class action lawsuits over its statements in its delayed 2014 annual report regarding its going concern issues.
Tier-one PV module manufacturer JinkoSolar has reported total solar product shipments to third parties of 789.2MW in the first quarter of 2015, generating revenue of US$443.5 million.
