Manufacturing

Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems reported Solar segment sales of US$22.6 million in its fiscal fourth quarter of 2016, resulting in full-year preliminary Solar segment sales of US$60.9 million, up from US$51.8 million in 2015.

The merger between Tesla and SolarCity has been approved by shareholders.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar reported lower third quarter total shipments as the slowdown in the domestic China market hit. As a result full year shipment guidance was also lowered.

Leading thin-film producer First Solar has decided to skip the previously planned migration to its Series 5 module platform, while bringing plans forward to migrate to its large-area Series 6 module technology to 2018.

Leading polysilicon and wafer producer GCL-Poly reported a 15% cut in production of polysilicon in the third quarter of 2016, compared to the prior year period, due to weak China end-market demand.

SunSniffer is to launch its first junction boxes with the special monitoring sensor and a rapid shutdown function for solar modules.

JinkoSolar, JA Solar, Risen Energy, Wuxi Suntech and Sumec (Phono Solar) have been withdrawn from the EU’s Minimum Import Price (MIP) undertaking by the European Commission.

Direct ownership of solar panels is set to overtake leasing in 2017 for the first time since 2011, according to new analysis by GTM Research.

Solar PV manufacturers have been flooding into Malaysia, but its domestic solar deployment remains relatively modest. PV Tech caught up with Catherine Ridu, chief executive officer of the Malaysia Sustainable Development Authority (SEDA), to discuss the newly-launched net metering programme and what other policies could encourage solar deployment, as well as how to leverage the manufacturing boom for domestic solar gains.

Struggling flexible CIGS thin-film consumer product producer Ascent Solar Technologies third quarter 2016 sales almost doubled but losses continue to mount.