Markets & Finance

According to NPD Solarbuzz, second quarter 2013 PV module shipments for the top 20 suppliers exceeded 5.8GW. The rise was led by Yingli Green Energy which saw shipments estimated to exceed 800MW and over 1GW for the first-half of the year, a new record for any PV module manufacturer.

German investment firm Wattner has purchased ten solar power plants with a total capacity of 48MW.

The former LDK subsidiary LDK Hefei is to be sold by the local Chinese government affiliate that purchased it earlier this year.

Shareholders in the beleaguered German manufacturer SolarWorld have given the green light to a comprehensive restructuring of the company’s finances.

South Korean business conglomerate SK Group has invested a further US$19 million into Texas-based CIGS thin-film PV module manufacturer HelioVolt.

First Solar has announced that it has purchased Element Power’s 1.5GW project pipeline for the US and Mexico.

US-based third-party ownership (TPO) PV installer Vivint Solar has secured US$200 million in two separate tax equity funds.

Energy utility Edison International has acquired SoCore Energy, a Chicago-based commercial rooftop solar developing company.

Reports suggest a deal is in the making that could see Suntech Power Holdings' bankrupt subsidiary rescued by the involvement of a rival Chinese PV manufacturer and several state-owned enterprises in Wuxi, China.

A quiet solar “revolution” in Australia over the past three years means 11% of the population now use PV technology, a study by the country’s Climate Commission claims.