PV and sapphire materials equipment specialist GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) said it would undertake a major reduction in its global workforce as it reduces expenses inline with a revised business plan ahead of expectations of emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2016.
PV thin film equipment and module producer Hanergy Thin Film Power Group (Hanergy TF) said in reporting first half 2015 financial results that it would be restructuring its operations with the loss of around 2,000 jobs, 37% of its workforce of 5,458 at the end of the reporting period.
UK government proposals to cut its feed-in-tariff (FiT) rates for solar PV installations by as much as 87% have shocked the solar industry, which is already reeling from a recent wave of potentially damaging policy proposals, according the UK's Solar Trade Association (STA).
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has backed teams working on 11 new solar technologies based on micro-CPV (concentrated PV), awarding funding of between just under US$1 million and US$3.5 million to each.
Tier-one PV manufacturer Hanwha Q CELLS' PV module shipments have increased 12.2% quarter-over-quarter, driven by shipments to the US, which accounted for 37% of total shipments by revenue in the second quarter.
The recent global stock market sell-offs, including US majors NYSE and NASDAQ, are having repercussions for both SunEdison and its US-centric yieldco, TerraForm, according to Baird Equity Research analyst, Ben Kallo.
Until clean energy is properly valued in the US, legislation-based storage procurement mandates and solar incentives such as the ITC will remain necessary to support low-carbon technologies like solar and solar-plus-storage, a prominent energy storage industry figure has said.
Valley Electric Association (VEA), a nonprofit, member-owned electric cooperative, has announced plans to begin construction on a 15MW solar energy generation project in Pahrump, Nevada.
