As previously reported there was a significant slowdown in global solar PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the third quarter of 2017, which we highlighted was hardly surprising due to significant level of expansions plans announced in the first half of the year. However, despite increased concerns over the potential imposition of restrictive trade practices in the US and India in the fourth quarter of 2017, there was a significant rebound over the previous quarter, leading to the highest recorded gigawatts of new expansion announcements.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has lowered nameplate capacity expansion plans in 2018 for both in-house solar cell production and module assembly as total module shipment guidance for 2018, indicates marginal growth.
Enel’s PV module manufacturing subsidiary, 3SUN has outlined its ‘2.0 innovation project,’ which includes the installation of a new assembly line to enable the manufacture of bifacial panels.
Leading polysilicon and solar wafer producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has reported a significant increase in nameplate wafer capacity in 2017, going from 18.5GW in 2016 to 30GW at the end of 2017, a 62.2% rise.
Advanced doping technologies for high efficiency n-type cell architectures was a key topic at PV CellTech 2018. After the conference, we caught up with Christian Buchner, Vice President of the Photovoltaics BU at leading PV equipment supplier SCHMID Group, to tap into some key takeaways.
OPES Solutions a supplier of off-grid solar modules for grid independent power supply, has developed an ultra-light solar module together with the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP. The new ultra-light solar module reduces module weight by two thirds when compared to conventional crystalline modules.
Aurora Solar Technologies has introduced the ‘Veritas Insight’, a new product that is designed to provide a fully integrated quality control system for high-efficiency solar cells such as PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell).
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JA Solar is getting closer to de-listing from NASDAQ and going private after over 90% of the ordinary shares held had voted to agree a merger with its Cayman Islands registered parent company, owned primarily by JA Solar’s founder, chairman and CEO, Baofang Jin.
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment specialist SoLayTec, a subsidiary of Amtech Systems has shipped its solar cell ALD tool to a customer based in Asia.
As the leading PV equipment supplier to the industry over the past decade, it has been great to have Meyer Burger supporting PV CellTech events since we launched PV CellTech in 2016.
We caught up with the company’s CTO, Dr. Gunter Erfurt, recently, to get his thoughts on new developments in PV manufacturing, ahead of the forthcoming PV CellTech 2018 meeting in Penang, Malaysia on 13-14 March 2018, and what to expect from Dr. Erfurt at the event.
