In response to the to unconfirmed media reports concerning the possible threat of between 16-17% cuts in the EEG feed-in tariffs by as early as April 2010, the German Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) said in a statement on its website that there was no room for such large cuts, especially on the back of what is effectively a 10% cut automatically in place since the beginning of the year. The trade association warned that lowering the FiT rates too fast, endangered 50,000 jobs in the German solar industry, and put at risk over €10 billion in planned production expansion plans and future R&D investments.
As part of previously announced plans to expand module production internationally, SolarWorld has successfully issued a €400 million bond. SolarWorld said the bond was placed with banks and intermediaries in the private sector.
In an effort to start volume production of its PV microinverters and become a leading player in the nascent market, especially in Europe, Enecsys has received a new round of funding from Good Energies to the tune of US$4.2 million. The Cambridge, UK-based start-up plans to publically launch its product range soon and will be exhibiting for the first time at Intersolar in Munich in June. Funding for the company has reached US$14.3 million.
Preliminary figures from Italian government agency GSE for solar module installations in Italy for 2009 indicate that the surge late in 2008 was not replicated in 2009. PV installations reached 374MW in 2009, up only 10% from 2008 when 338MW was installed and connected to the grid. The Italian market had often been touted as becoming a major market in 2009, due to the attractive FiT and high cost of electricity in the country, enabling solar to reach grid-parity earlier than in most other European countries.
Product Briefing Outline: Xandex Solar, the solar products and services division of Xandex is launching the ‘SunMizer’ DC power optimizer for photovoltaic panels. SunMizer is a new DC power optimizer that increases solar energy harvest by recovering power that is lost when shade falls on a solar panel.
In a move that many other PV module manufacturers are expected to adopt, SolarWorld is the first manufacturer to switch to a linear performance guarantee on its entire range of solar modules. SolarWorld claims that as a result of the change, it has extended the performance warranty for its modules from two to five years. Traditionally, the industry has used a stepped performance guarantee system, such as 90% of the lower nominal output for the first 10 years and then 80% for year 11 onwards.
Product Briefing Outline: The Schmalz Wafer-Gripper SWG is applied in fully or partially automated production of highly sensitive wafers and solar cells with maximum process stability. A new handling concept provides minimum cycle times, precise positioning, reliable handling even of deformed and broken parts, breakage detection “on the fly” and controlled air discharge.
In respect of the US$2.3 billion U.S. federal tax credits issued last week for job creation, two key trends have emerged. As already highlighted, the solar sector garnered approximately US$1.0 billion of the credits allocated. However, another trend emerged whereby three major polysilicon producers garnered the most from the credits in the solar sector.
Government-funded projects in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces in China that are expected to be completed in 2010 have started to be awarded to PV module manufacturers. Solarfun has said that its subsidiary, Jiangsu Linyang Solarfun, has been contracted to supply Xuzhou Xie Xin PV Power 10MW of solar modules for a project based in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu, as well as two contracts totalling 2.65MW for a government-funded project in Anhui.
Product Briefing Outline: ACC Silicones, the European manufacturer of specialist silicone elastomers, launches its new PV range of products. These adhesives and encapsulants are compatible with most materials commonly used in the assembly of PV modules and concentrator (CPV) cells.
