Materials

Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger Technology is to supply its DW 288 Series 3 diamond wire cutting saws to an existing European customer.

China-based PV module manufacturer Wuxi Suntech, a subsidiary of diversified renewables firm, Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE) has said it has achieved multicrystalline Passivated Emitter Rear Contact (PERC) cell efficiencies of 20% in production.

Key Taiwan-based PV manufacturers have reported December, 2016 sales and indicated fourth quarter and full-year sales figures, which were primarily impacted by a slump in demand in the second half of the year.

In this week's Movers & Shakers, PV Tech focuses on employment news within German and US energy companies; featuring energy storage, solar cell manufacturing and EPC.

Bankrupt renewables firm SunEdison has finally got the green light to proceed with the US$150 million sale of its FBR (Fluidised Bed Reactor) technology polysilicon assets to GCL-Poly Energy Holding after a deal was struck with company spinoff SunEdison Semiconductor.

The recent announcements from Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) manufacturer LONGi Silicon Materials, to acquire the Malaysia wafering operations of Comtec Solar Systems Group and to align with Trina Solar and Tongwei for a new 5GW factory in China, represent yet more substance to LONGi’s active push to shift the industry to mono c-Si cell and module supply.

European sustainable energy innovation company InnoEnergy has invested €2 million in solar wafer epitaxial growth technology by NexWafe that increases the efficiency of solar cell manufacturing.

Monocrystalline wafer producer Comtec Solar Systems Group said it planned to sell its Malaysian facility and some of the installed production equipment to leading integrated monocrystalline ingot to module producer, Longi Silicon Materials.

Three major Chinese PV manufacturers, Longi Silicon Materials, Trina Solar and Tongwei, via its polysilicon subsidiary, Sichuan Yongxiang, are to form a Joint Venture (JV) to own and operate a previously planned 5GW monocrystalline silicon ingot pulling production plant in Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, China, by Longi.

China-based PV manufacturer GCL System Integration Technology (GCLS) has teamed with Vietnam-based OEM producer, Vina Solar Technology to establish a 600MW solar cell plant at Vina’s Bac Giang facilities.