Major PV inverter and smart energy manufacturer SolarEdge Technologies has reported record fourth quarter and full-year 2018 revenue, which increased by 54.4%, due to strong product demand.
A personal perspective on why a solar company could take on its rivals and thrive in a year full of disruptions to the industry but report record results and revenue growth that is unlikely to be topped by any other PV manufacturer in 2018.
Integrated PV module manufacturer REC Group has said it invested US$150 million in developing and rolling out into volume production a new N-type monocrystalline-based heterojunction (HJ) cell that will use Meyer Burgers ‘SmartWire’ (SWCT) cell connection technology.
US-headquartered high-efficiency solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corp has started ramping production at its first volume manufacturing plant in Oregon, USA.
‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has surprised with an upwardly revised PV module shipment forecast for the fourth quarter of 2018.
Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger has sold its photovoltaic, semiconductor and sapphire wafering business to Precision Surfacing Solutions for CHF 50 million (US$49.8 million) in cash.
ROTH Capital Partners has become increasingly bullish on a strong rebound in global solar demand in 2019, led by competitive pricing dynamics with other energy sources and increasing optimism that China will provide good subsidy support for solar in 2019 and onwards.
Major PV single-axis tracker firm, NEXTracker has secured a major contract with Latin American renewables firm, Atlas Renewable Energy to deploy its ‘TrueCapture’ self-adjusting tracker control system across its fleet of PV power plants.
Specialist semiconductor and PV equipment supplier Intevac has said that it finally recognised into revenue on three of four ‘ENERGi’ solar ion implant tools, which had already been shipped to a PV manufacturing customer in China in the third quarter of 2017.
Tesla reported as expected lower solar system installations for the fourth quarter of 2018, while citing continued testing of its roof tile system for a still vague roll-out timetable for mass production and deployments.
