The distributed renewable energy (DRE) sector, necessary in a world with millions of people without power, is being held back by a chronic shortage of skilled workers. Indeed, Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) has just 16,000 people working in renewable energy in a region with 600 million un-electrified people, according to the founders of a new campaign aiming to fill this skills gap.
US-headquartered high-efficiency PV module producer SunPower Corp is expecting to sell further assets and increase its loans in 2019 to avert bankruptcy due to looming liquidity issues as the company expects to remain loss making next year, while current net losses in the first nine months of 2018 have reached US$745.3 million.
Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger has announced a new restructuring program, which is intended to bring its breakeven level to around CHF 250 million per annum.
The long-standing CEO of major PV inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology, Pierre-Pascal Urbon has suddenly stepped down from his executive role and plans to leave the company altogether at the end of December, 2018.
US-headquartered high-efficiency PV module producer SunPower Corp has completed the acquisition of SolarWorld Americas from German insolvency court and administrators, securing the future of the solar cell and module assembly operations of the Hillsboro, Oregon plant.
US government development finance institution Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has committed US$25 million in financing to a fund managed by off-grid solar firm SunFunder, which will provide loans to companies developing off-grid solar products and solutions for Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS has appointed a new chairman and CEO with former experience at the company as parent, Hanwha Group begins consolidating solar sector subsidiaries.
China-based polysilicon and multicrystalline wafer producer Daqo New Energy has said it would discontinue its solar wafer manufacturing operations in September, 2018.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) members JinkoSolar and Hanwha Q CELLS have both updated plans to start solar module assembly manufacturing in the US, post the US Section 201 trade case.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems is restructuring its solar cell manufacturing equipment business with job losses after China-based customers have pushed-out capacity expansion plans after government cuts were made to downstream solar installation targets as deployments far exceeded goals.
