Fab & Facilities

US PV energy provider, SunPower, has said it will own and operate a new module assembly plant in South Africa to produce its E20/440 high-efficiency PV panels.

Hanergy Thin Film Power is setting up a product development business with a research centre to be established in Silicon Valley.

Hanwha Q CELLS is to add four automated module assembly production lines to its existing main solar cell production facility in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

Singapore-based PV module manufacturer REC Solar expects to sell its full module manufacturing capacity output in 2014, further indicating a turnaround in fortunes after restructuring.

GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) was suffering from sapphire yield issues at its Arizona production plant, according to a consensus of financial analysts and equipment suppliers that PV Tech spoke to during Solar Power International, held in Las Vegas last week.

PV manufacturer Trina Solar is planning to significantly expand solar module manufacturing capacity in 2014, according to documents seen by PV Tech.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is to provide US$53 million to fund 40 R&D projects aimed at slashing the cost of solar.

Global module manufacturer Trina Solar has opened a warehouse in South Africa.

Conergy is selling its US solar distribution business to Soligent a major PV products distributor in the country for an undisclosed sum. As a result, Conergy is focusing on its PV project business in US.

In a shock move, major PV equipment provider, GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) said it would file for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the District of New Hampshire, US.