As part of PV Tech’s ongoing analysis of global PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements, an important aspect remains the ever evolving geographical footprint of the upstream market of dedicated solar cell, module assembly, thin film and c-Si integrated facilities.
In this week's Movers & Shakers, PV Tech focuses on employment news within German and US energy companies; featuring energy storage, solar cell manufacturing and EPC.
The recent announcements from Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) manufacturer LONGi Silicon Materials, to acquire the Malaysia wafering operations of Comtec Solar Systems Group and to align with Trina Solar and Tongwei for a new 5GW factory in China, represent yet more substance to LONGi’s active push to shift the industry to mono c-Si cell and module supply.
European sustainable energy innovation company InnoEnergy has invested €2 million in solar wafer epitaxial growth technology by NexWafe that increases the efficiency of solar cell manufacturing.
China-based PV manufacturer GCL System Integration Technology (GCLS) has teamed with Vietnam-based OEM producer, Vina Solar Technology to establish a 600MW solar cell plant at Vina’s Bac Giang facilities.
Nanoelectronics research centre imec said that copper-based solar cells have reached the same reliability standards as traditional silver-based solar cells in recently completed rapid-cycle testing of a limited number of specially prepared modules.
China has made known its disappointment with the European Commission’s decision to extend its trade duties on Chinese solar products for a further two years, through comments from an official at the Ministry of Commerce.
US-Based wafer producer 1366 Technologies and ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS have jointly hit a new record of 19.6% efficiency for cells using the 'Direct wafer' process.
UPDATED: The minimum import price (MIP) for solar products being sold into the EU will drop significantly in 2017, according to official correspondence seen by PV Tech.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Trina Solar has set a new world record of 22.61% efficiency for a p-type mono-crystalline cell, with Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technology at its State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology of China.
