Capital expenditure (capex) for c-Si manufacturing (covering ingot/wafer and cell/module stages) is forecast at approx. US$9 billion in 2019, consistent with levels seen during 2017 and 2018.
NEXTracker has introduced its smart single-axis solar tracker family, 'NX Gemini’, which enables two-module-in-portrait (2P) tracking of either monofacial or bifacial PV modules. The next-generation two-module-in-portrait (2P) tracker is optimized for customer sites with hard soils, challenging terrain, irregular parcel shapes and high-wind requirements.
PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), Lloyd's of London syndicate Ariel Re (a member of Argo Group), and Beecher Carlson Insurance Services, LLC have launched PV PlantProtect. This is the first-of-its-kind risk mitigation and insurance program using technical due diligence best practices to improve solar project economics for developers.
The forthcoming PV CellTech 2020 event in Penang, Malaysia on 10-11 March 2020 is to feature a special session topic on thin-film solar PV, and review the prospects of this technology being the subject of another round of global investments.
Finlay Colville, head of market research at Solar Media, unveils significant growth in the UK’s utility-scale solar pipeline as the market looks set to return to gigawatt-level demand in 2020.
The latest release of PV-Tech’s unique PV ModuleTech Bankability Rankings report confirms the exclusive status today afforded to just four PV module suppliers (JinkoSolar, LONGi Solar, Canadian Solar and First Solar), in being the only companies to have AA-Rating module bankability status within the industry today.
JinkoSolar has showcased its forthcoming ‘Tiger’ solar module at All-Energy Australia event, held in Melbourne, Australia in late October 2019. The module has a conversion efficiency of 20.78% and can generate up to 460Wp of power output, which is suitable for both utility-scale and rooftop markets, globally.
Aiko Solar has been celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019 and has become the largest merchant solar cell producer in the last few years, focusing on high-efficiency cells, notably mono-PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell] production, and is the first-tier producer of this cell type in 2018.
The fifth PV CellTech event takes place in Penang, Malaysia on 10-11 March 2020, and will be happening at a time when PV is going through its most dramatic realignment yet, in terms of manufacturers dominating the cell supply landscape, and the technologies being deployed in mega mass-production.
PV Tech’s Carrie Xiao continues her look at what Chinese PV firms are doing to crack international markets, looking today at technical innovations and the benefits of big brands.
