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Manufacturing costs for tier one integrated polysilicon and PV wafer makers are set to hit a record low of US$0.20 per watt in 2014, according to analysis by NPD Solarbuzz.

Specialist encapsulant supplier, STR Holdings, continues to struggle following the loss of its major customer, First Solar, last year, as third quarter sales continued to decline, forcing further plant closures and restructuring efforts.

China’s Ministry of Commerce has said it will extend a probe into imports of solar-grade polysilicon from Europe by six months.

Haraeus and DuPont have announced the end of their trade dispute over metal pastes used in the manufacture of solar panels.

Hemlock Semiconductor continued to report positive financial results in the third quarter of 2013, despite the imposition by China of anti-dumping duties on imported polysilicon, notably from the US.

REC management has revealed that demand for both its polysilicon and PV modules remained strong in the third quarter of 2013.

Beleaguered PV equipment supplier, centrotherm photovoltaics, has given a cryptic account of deterioration in revenue expectations over the next two years, having recently reviewed its order backlog.

The Renewable Energy Company ASA has announced the results of its public share offering for its new division, REC Solar.

Hoku Materials’ never-used polysilicon plant in Idaho will go up for sale next week.

According to a research note from EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce based in Taiwan, PV demand could potentially outstrip supply by the first quarter of 2014.