India deployed a record 9,255MW of solar in 2017, up 94% from the previous year, but uncertainty and a slowdown looms in 2018, according to the latest quarterly report from consultancy firm Bridge to India.
PV Tech recently met up with Christian Buchner - Vice President of the Photovoltaics BU at leading PV equipment supplier SCHMID Group - ahead of the forthcoming PV CellTech 2018 meeting in Penang, Malaysia on 13-14 March 2018, an event SCHMID has been strongly supporting for the past few years.
Major PV module materials and N-type mono IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) bifacial module manufacturer Jolywood has reported preliminary unaudited 2017 financial results, posting an increase in revenue of 133.68%.
Major China-based PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow Power Supply Co has reported preliminary unaudited revenue for 2017, which surpasses European rival, SMA Solar Technology’s revenue figures for the first time.
Solar PV manufacturer SolarWorld Americas said it had been given a US$5 million loan to support a return to full manufacturing capacity, which would add around 200 jobs, sometime in the third quarter of 2018.
China-based polysilicon producer Daqo New Energy has announced plans for expanding production by at least 12,000MT in less than 18-months that will be dedicated to supplying high-efficiency monocrystalline wafers producers, due to continued strong demand.
Indian solar developer Avaada Power has further staked its claim in the Indian PV market by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop 500MW of utility-scale PV projects with a INR35 billion (US$537 million) investment.
Leading CdTe thin-film module manufacturer First Solar is increasing its shipment guidance for 2018, due to plans to bring back online 180MW of mothballed Series 4 module capacity at its Perrysburg, Ohio manufacturing facility.
The major manufacturing transition by First Solar to its large-area Series 6 CdTe thin-film module format is well underway and, going by recent management commentary in its fourth quarter 2017 conference call with financial analysts, has increased its tempo slightly, not least due to updated spending plans for the second time in a few months.
