Singapore has joined the pile of countries going to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to demand a consultation with the US over its 30% solar import tariffs, according to a WTO filing from Friday 9 February.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems has continued to benefit from a major solar orders placed with the company in 2017 that are continuing conversion to revenue in its fiscal first quarter of 2018.
Tesla reported another major decline in its residential solar installations for the fourth quarter of 2017, while a supply shortage in its energy storage system ‘Powerwall’ has created a customer backlog of solar and storage installs of more than one year.
The Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) and the Leibniz Universität Hannover have produced lab cells using polysilicon on oxide – POLO – junctions, in an interdigitated pattern on the rear side and a specially treated p-type monocrystalline wafer to record a cell conversion efficiency of 26.1%.
China has requested consultations with the US over its decision to apply a safeguard measure on imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, according to a WTO filing from Tuesday 6 February.
Leading integrated high-efficiency monocrystalline module manufacturer and ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Green Energy Technology has officially reignited previously suspended manufacturing plans in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Specialist semiconductor and PV equipment supplier Intevac is still having issues securing delivery dates for an order for 12 ‘ENERGi’ solar ion implant tools to a customer in China, which is planning to ramp N-type mono IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) solar cells and modules.
India’s 2018/19 budget has proposed changing customs duty on imports of solar glass from 5% to nil, but the overall renewables sector has been largely ignored.
Russia-based integrated PV manufacturer Hevel Group, which has switched production from amorphous silicon thin-film technology to silicon heterojunction (HJ) has said it has been successful in ramping to its 160MW nameplate capacity and achieving cell conversion efficiencies of 22.8%.
