The cost of subsidies for installing and maintaining residential solar power systems will cost Australia’s economy AUS$9.7 billion (US$7.5 billion), according to a new report, which has prompted a strong backlash from solar industry bodies, who said the findings were “cherry picking”.
French concentrator PV (CPV) specialist Soitec has revealed plans to sell its solar business to ConcenSolar, a company linked with Soitec’s CPV rival Suncore.
The parent company of Hanergy Thin Film Power (Hanergy TF) has insisted the firm is in good financial condition despite its shares almost halving in value yesterday.
Major tier-one PV manufacturer JA Solar said it was building a 400MW solar cell plant in Penang, Malaysia as well as adding capacity for high-performance monocrystalline and multicrystalline cells and modules, while establishing a JV module partnership with Essel in India.
European solar power services company Photon Energy claims an emphasis on new business areas including operations and maintenance (O&M), opened up new revenue streams to boost its group performance in the past quarter.
Integrated PV module manufacturer SolarWorld said its Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology had proved a big hit in the US market and would reach 430MW of production capacity at its US-based plant in Hillsboro, US in the second quarter of 2015.
PV module encapsulant supplier STR Holding has resorted to accepting PV modules as payment worth approximately US$7.4 million for encapsulant material supplied to a Chinese PV module manufacturer.
Sharp Corporation reported its Solar Cells unit significantly increased sales and operating income in FY2014 due to strong domestic demand and its shift to downstream PV mega-solar project business.
The acquisition of PV module manufacturer REC Solar was said to have been completed by Norway-based Elkem Group, owned by Chinese investment firm China National Bluestar Group.
