Recent reports that the US and India are close to reaching an agreement in the trade dispute over India’s local content rules for solar equipment have been refuted by a top US trade official.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar has placed an order with module assembly equipment specialist Suzhou Horad New Energy Equipment Co for a 300MW turnkey module assembly line destined for an as-yet unannounced facility in Brazil.
Indebted PV module manufacturer Yingli Green Energy has been rumoured to be securing over US$500 million in new debt financing from a Chinese state bank and a provincial government where it operates manufacturing facilities.
Researchers at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US have completed the development of a new international quality standard for PV module manufacturing.
SolarCity, the largest residential solar PV installer in the US said in its fourth quarter 2015 earnings call that its ambitious 1GW Buffalo Riverbend manufacturing facility had been impacted by longer than expected equipment lead times, pushing some equipment installs into the second-half of 2016.
PV module assembly equipment supplier Valoe Corporation has secured its long awaited first order for an automated turnkey back contact module assembly line from an unidentified customer in Ethiopia for €15.8 million.
Japan’s renewable energy laws are likely to result in the introduction of an auction process for large-scale solar, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) confirming that it has put a plan for approval before the cabinet.
Japanese electronics firm Panasonic is reported to be suspending production at its Nishikinohama ‘HIT’ solar cell and module assembly plant due to weak domestic consumer demand in Japan.
Taiwan-based merchant solar cell producer Motech Industries has reported January, 2016 sales reaching a new record high, the fifth consecutive month of record sales.
