Major polysilicon and merchant cell producer, Tongwei has secured a monocrystalline wafer supply deal from LONGi Green Energy (LONGi Group) that increases its wafer needs by 1 billion wafers to 2.6 billion as the cell producer plans to have more than 40GW of solar cell capacity in 2021.
A round-up of the latest solar industry news from around the world, as Aquila picks up its first solar projects in Portugal, one of Europe’s hottest solar markets, and Dehui lays claim to being Vietnam’s first module manufacturer to produce next-generation panels.
Solar start-up Terabase Energy has closed a US$6 million Series A financing round, unveiling an aim to help drive down solar generation costs to below US$0.01/kWh by 2025.
German renewables developer BayWa r.e. has bought US-based solar and energy storage solutions provider Enable Energy, taking its pipeline of solar and wind projects in the Americas to more than 5GW.
NTPC, India’s largest power company, is aiming to add more than 5GW of new solar capacity in the next two years as it builds its renewables presence overseas thanks to a collaboration with the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Major merchant solar cell producer Aiko Solar may have increased first half year revenue 30% compared to the prior year period, but COVID-19 and solar cell average price declines, triggered by weak demand, sent net profits falling by 68% year-on-year.
Coming out of stealth-mode, US-based integrated PV panel manufacturing start-up, Violet Power intends to disrupt the PV industry with in-house production of high-efficiency IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) solar cells. The company will use cell-to-module ‘flex circuit’ and thermal plastic encapsulant technology in a glass/glass configuration that will have a solar panel warranty of 50 years, more than three times the average in the industry, today.
