Features

Satcon Technology has expanded its product portfolio to include certified inverter solutions for the light commercial solar market segment with the launch of ‘Equinox LC’ with a maximum efficiency of 98.2%. The new product line will include four UL certified power ratings of 12kW, 16kW, 20kW and 24kW, and five CE certified power ratings of 8kW, 10kW, 13kW, 17kW, and 20kW.

The following article comments on the ongoing discussion of the grid parity issue. Although considerable movement can be observed in how PV is thought of in the industry, this article aims to point out the consequences of the necessary transition from incentive to non-incentive markets.

To understand the potential impact of the preliminary US Department of Commerce ruling regarding import duties for c-Si modules that contain c-Si cells manufactured within China, it is necessary to clarify what the US market represents to leading tier 1 Chinese c-Si module suppliers (in absolute terms), as well as relative to the overall (global) market.

The industry has now had a chance to take stock of the US Department of Commerce’s announcement that it will impose an import tariff on PV cells, or PV modules that contain cells, manufactured in China. The preliminary findings of the anti-dumping case, which was initiated in October 2011 when a group of PV manufacturers, led by Germany’s SolarWorld, filed a trade complaint, revealed that a tariff of approximately 31% would be levied against a specified group of the largest Chinese cell manufacturers and a rate of 249% against all other Chinese manufacturers. This was in addition to March’s introduction of less severe countervailing duties to negate the allegedly unfair subsidies that Chinese suppliers benefit from.

In the latest round of The People versus California's Utilities, solar plaintiffs scored a resounding victory last week with a unanimous vote from the state's energy regulators.

The ABB central inverter series, rated from 100 to 630kW, is designed for multi-megawatt PV power plants as well as large and medium sized commercial and industrial PV installations.

No one loves the sun as much as the president of the United States and his energy secretary. Dr Steven Chu took up President Barack Obama's appointment as US Secretary of Energy in 2009 and has since either re-stated existing federal commitments to solar or made fresh commitments to the technology.

Manz showcased its new equipment for wet-chemical processing of crystalline silicon solar cells at SNEC 2012 in Shanghai this May. The IPSG CEI 4800 is designed for chemical edge isolation (CEI) and phosphor silicate glass (PSG) post process removal. The tool is capable of handing 4800 wafers per hour and sold as a bundle with the Manz SpeedPicker for loading and unloading.

This article provides an analysis of global installations/demand and global production/supply according to regions and technologies. The evaluated timeframe includes years 2010 and 2011. An outlook for 2012 is also provided on a best-estimate basis. Specifically, the implications of module shipments in 2011 and 2012(e) are presented. This is in line with an analysis of production capacities, their utilization rates and the corresponding impact on global profit margins.