Cell Processing

Taiwan is expected to see a significant uptick in solar deployment in Q4 this year or early 2018 after the recent allocation of high-efficiency equipment certifications, but there are concerns around manufacturing capacity constraints.

India-based solar equipment manufacturer Renewsys India, part of international conglomerate Enpee Group, has launched production of 5-busbar (BB) solar PV cells at a Hyderabad facility in the Indian state of Telangana.

Enel Green Power (EGP) has partnered with the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) of the National Research Council (NRC) to create a dedicated laboratory to explore renewable energy technologies, and in particular, develop bifacial PV modules.

UPDATED: India solar manufacturers have filed an anti-dumping petition with the Ministry of Trade and Commerce against Chinese solar cells and modules, according to a report from consultancy firm Mercom Capital Group, although no official notification has been released so far.

Leading ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar reported record PV module shipments of 2,068MW in the first quarter of 2017, exceeding guidance.

With stricter quality standards due to be brought in for Indian solar tenders, including inspections for modules, cells and wafers, energy and mines minister Piyush Goyal has warned the industry about failure to keep equipment quality high.

Norway-headquartered integrated PV module manufacturer REC Group has made a significant shift in its regional sales strategy, which was previously dominated by shipments to the US.

India-based PV manufacturer and EPC firm Vikram Solar has expanded its module manufacturing capacity from 900MW to 1GW at its fab in Kolkata.

Swiss-based PV manufacturing equipment specialist INDEOtec SA has secured a new order for a combined OCTOPUS II – PECVD/PVD deposition system for high-efficiency and heterojunction solar cells.

Guangdong Aiko Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd (Aiko Solar), merchant solar cell producer has launched a high-efficiency P-type mono-PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) bifacial solar cell with front-side cell efficiency >21% and rear-side >15%. The company showcased the bifacial cell at SNEC 2017.