Weak pricing, especially on the spot market, has forced REC to reduce monocrystalline wafer production at its Glomfjord, Norway facility by 50%. The announcement comes soon after reducing multicrystalline wafer production at its facility in Herøya, Norway by 60% in late November, 2011. REC said that the temporary shutdown would affect approximately 65 employees at its Glomfjord facility.
Avancis has said that its new state-of-the-art CIS thin-film module production plant has begun ramping. Construction of the 100MW capacity facility started in June 2010 and enables the company to offer new products, boost efficiencies and lower costs, compared to its previous 20MW facility. The number of employees at Avancis is set to double from the current 250 to almost 500.
Approximately half of China’s PV manufacturing firms have ceased production, according to a report on the Chinese newspaper Guangzhou Daily and as cited by Digitimes. Chronic oversupply and massive price drops would appear to have nudged the lower-performing China-based manufacturers over the edge, with the solar energy division of CSG Holding’s research suggesting that half have stopped production, around 30% are at half their production capability and 20% are at pains to maintain their current levels of production.
centrotherm, turnkey solutions provider, has entered into an agreement to use Eyelit’s Enterprise Manufacturing Execution suite (MES) for its PV module production, expanding Eyelit’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
An attempt to regain lost revenue has led to MEMC Electronic Materials’ decision to cut its global workforce by 20%, or over 1,300 employees. Among other activities, the company will also idle its 6,000MT Merano, Italy polysilicon facility, which it says it will close unless “dramatic feedstock, power and other cost reductions are achieved” in the near future.
As part of its long-term cost reduction goals for its turnkey Micromorph thin film silicon ‘ThinFab’ production lines, Oerlikon Solar has teamed with gas suppliers Air Liquide and Linde to provide more than a 20% reduction in total cost of all gases and precursors. As a result, its ThinFab (120MWp) lines going into full production by end of 2012 can reduce module production costs by up to 5%. The total gas budget was said to be less than €8.50 per panel.
At Suntech Power Holdings’ recent Global Supplier Conference, the company recognized 19 companies with its award ceremony, one of them being DuPont, which was honored for its supply and technical service as well as its product innovation and collaboration. DuPont provides Suntech with its Solamet PV metallization pastes for its solar cells and also supplies Suntech’s backsheets with the DuPont Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride film.
Hoku Materials has moved a step closer to completing its polysilicon production plant in Pocatello, Idaho by connecting it to Idaho Power's substation.
Amonix’s Seal Beach, California and North Las Vegas, Nevada facilities have earned gold-level certification for their low environmental impact from the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The company’s buildings were rated in 13 environmental impact categories, including climate change, indoor environmental quality, resource depletion and water intake.
Having stopped all production at various plants to preserve cash and help draw down inventory, Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) posted a net loss from continuing operations of US$57.5 million, which includes a non-cash impairment charge of US$34.3 million for its financial Q1 results. Revenue was reported at US$22.0 million, which compares to US$65.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, and US$70.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011. ECD previously cancelled its conference call and refrained from providing information on whether a call would be organised.
