China-based PV manufacturer GCL System Integration Technology (GCL-SI) has broken its own solar cell average efficiency for its self-developed PERC cells in mass production by utilizing Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) technology - reaching 20.6% from 20.1% in February.
India installed 5.5GW of utility-scale solar capacity in the last fiscal year and the country is expected to add another 8GW in the coming year, according to consultancy firm Bridge to India’s ‘India Solar Map’.
Taiwan is expected to see a significant uptick in solar deployment in Q4 this year or early 2018 after the recent allocation of high-efficiency equipment certifications, but there are concerns around manufacturing capacity constraints.
The Japanese subsidiary of leading ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has signed a cooperation agreement with Japanese EPC Quantum Power GK for 187MW of solar PV.
Struggling former ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Yingli Green Energy and Amtech Group’s Tempress Systems BV jointly opened what is claimed to be Europe’s largest bifacial PV solar plant next to the Tempress headquarters in Vaassen, the Netherlands.
India-based solar equipment manufacturer Renewsys India, part of international conglomerate Enpee Group, has launched production of 5-busbar (BB) solar PV cells at a Hyderabad facility in the Indian state of Telangana.
Enel Green Power (EGP) has partnered with the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) of the National Research Council (NRC) to create a dedicated laboratory to explore renewable energy technologies, and in particular, develop bifacial PV modules.
SB Energy, a joint venture between Japanese tech firm Softbank, Bharti Enterprises and Foxconn Technology Group, has started operations at a 455MW solar project in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, according to a release from the module supplier Trina Solar.
Following on from the successful year for solar that was 2016, the US market added 2,044MW of new capacity in Q1 2017 alone. As installations grow, prices continue to fall to new lows and utility-scale system prices dropped below US$1/Watt for the first time according to GTM Research.
