With a debt of ¥1.25 trillion (US$16 billion), Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corporation has been feeling the weight on its shoulders and will submit an asset report to its banks next month in order to identify any flagging businesses it could sell to raise some finance, Reuters revealed.
Cambridge University spin-off Eight19 has revealed the launch of Azuri Technologies Limited, which will be used to develop the company’s Indigo ‘pay-as-you-go’ solar technology for off-grid markets.
Daqo New Energy released its second quarter 2012 financial earnings, which saw the company post revenues of US$30.6 million, down from US$34 million in Q1 2012. Additionally, Daqo’s Q2 2012 polysilicon shipments were approximately 1,028MT, while its PV module shipments amounted to 3.6MW. Wafer shipments for the second quarter were 11.2MW.
Yingli Green Energy Holding’s advised that its multicrystalline PV modules had undergone, and successfully passed, potential induced degradation (PID) testing, which was conducted by Intertek Group. The test analysed the power output of Yingli Solar’s PV modules under sever conditions of high voltage, temperature and humidity.
Senersun advised that its polycrystalline modules had passed testing performed by SGS for compliance with IEC 61701 standards for salt mist corrosion. The solar panels underwent four test cycles spread over 28 days. Each module was sprayed with a salt mist solution and then stores for 7 days at 40° C and 93% relative humidity. Testing confirmed that the panels were visually, dimensionally and functionally compliant with the IEC standards.
Non-governmental organization (NGO), the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), is accusing US thin-film manufacturers of using a loop hole in the Indian government’s renewable energy scheme to “ruin the Indian domestic PV industry”. Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) initiative mandates a domestic content requirement, however, only for crystalline PV and not for thin-film.
IBC Solar’s Turkish subsidiary IBC Solar Yat Ve Tic has announced that it has completed the installation of its Konya PV plant, which it claims is the first grid-connected PV power plant in Turkey.
SunEdison, a US developer of PV projects, has submitted plans to develop two PV plants in Antofagasta in northern Chile adding a total of 72MW of solar capacity to the country, according to the Chilean news site Diario Financiero. One plant will have a capacity of 33.48MW and the other will have 38.59MW.
Following its two requests for tenders (RFTs), the French government has selected bids for 541MW of solar plants, using various technologies, including, five projects from Element Power Solar, which total 18MW. Element Power’s projects include the 2.06MW Tournus installation, the 9.51MW site in Orain, Besset’s 2.16MW project, the 2.66MW installation in Soucia and Sydom’s 1.36MW installation.
