Modules

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.

Utah's sPower surpasses 1GW of operating PV assets, Sunnova expands its solar system ownership programme, PI Berlin takes on a consultancy role for Adenium's Jordan PV projects and ACC partners with VAST China for a rooftop PV power station.

As part of PV Tech’s ongoing analysis of global PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements, an important aspect remains the ever evolving geographical footprint of the upstream market of dedicated solar cell, module assembly, thin film and c-Si integrated facilities.

San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener has readied new legislation on solar panels, saying that a city ordinance passed in April that required all new construction in the city to include solar panels isn’t enough.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has sold two PV power plants in Ontario, Canada to subsidiaries of Concord Green Energy Inc for around US$115 million.

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.

India is expected to add more than 9GW of solar PV capacity this year, but its long-term renewable energy future requires adding transmission capacity and removing bottlenecks immediately, according to the latest quarterly solar market update from consultancy firm Mercom Capital Group.

Nanoelectronics research centre imec said that copper-based solar cells have reached the same reliability standards as traditional silver-based solar cells in recently completed rapid-cycle testing of a limited number of specially prepared modules.