PV and electronics equipment manufacturing and automation specialist Manz AG has reported continued demand for automation system in China for solar manufacturing applications that have generated €17.5 million in first half year revenue, up 66.7% from the prior year period.
PV and polysilicon manufacturing equipment specialist centrotherm photovoltaics has reported first half 2016 consolidated revenue of €61.9 million and an order intake for the period of €89.5 million.
PV inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology said it would close production facilities in Denver, US, and Cape Town, South Africa on continued competition issues and consolidate global inverter production in Germany and China.
PV inverter firm SolarEdge Technologies reported fiscal fourth quarter revenue of US$124.8 million, which was at the low end of guidance, due to a slowdown in the US residential market, its biggest market for the company.
The world's biggest asset manager BlackRock Real Assets has secured €650 million (US$726 million) from more than 25 institutional investors in Europe and Asia for its Renewable Income Europe fund.
In this week's Movers & Shakers segment, PV Tech focuses on employment shakeups in the US, Europe and Asia as key renewables companies reveal some hires and departures from the last fortnight.
Leading CdTe thin-film producer First Solar is undertaking a further round of restructuring that targets its EPC and O&M operations after its decision to shutdown its TetraSun crystalline silicon operations in Malaysia in early July.
Following a Portuguese government announcement approving 180MW of unsubsidised solar PV capacity, the country’s renewables association has said solar cannot work without financial support in current market conditions.
Leading microinverter firm Enphase Energy reported second quarter 2016 shipments up 30% and revenue 24% higher than the prior quarter as its strategy to offer more competitive pricing enabled by progressive product cost reductions, regained lost customers and market share across multiple regions.
