PV Tech reached its own little milestone of having reported and analysed the R&D spending habits of the same 12 key PV module manufacturers for 10 years. The results have just been published in sister technical journal Photovoltaics International as part of the annual leaders and laggards of R&D spending for 2016.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Green Energy Technology and the leading fully-integrated high-efficiency monocrystalline module manufacturer, reported first half 2017 revenue slightly down from the prior year period as a result of average selling price (ASP) declines, partially offset by product shipment growth.
The PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) cell and module technology have been widely adopted by the industry. JA Solar has been exploring innovative approaches of bifacial PERC cell and the methods of making it and has been granted two Chinese patents. Also, a series of experiments have been carried out to certify the higher efficiency of bifacial PERC modules than conventional PERC modules.
Taiwan-based PV cell and module manufacturer Motech Industries continued a fourth consecutive quarterly loss, yet losses declined on increased solar cell shipments in the second quarter of 2017.
Newly formed German PV module manufacture SolarWorld Industries GmbH has officially started production, according to the insolvency administrator for SolarWorld AG.
Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger said that LONGi Solar Technology, the PV module manufacturing arm of leading monocrystalline wafer producer LONGi Green Energy Technology has become the first customer of its double-side PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) coating platform, ‘MAiA EVO’.
Taiwan-based cell and module producer Neo Solar Power (NSP) has sold the former solar cell and module assembly plant of DelSolar to specialist semiconductor manufacturer Maxchip Electronics for around NT$1,252 million (US$41.1 million).
US-headquartered high-efficiency PV module producer SunPower reported a first quarter 2017 net GAAP loss of US$134.5 million, while guiding further losses of between $110 million to $135 million for the second quarter of the year as the company transitions its business model.
Mono c-Si cell production is forecast to account for 49% of all c-Si cell production in 2018, and will become the dominant technology used in the PV industry by 2019, according to new research contained in the latest release of the PV Manufacturing & Technology Quarterly report, from the in-house research unit at PV-Tech’s parent company Solar Media Ltd.
Trina Solar has launched its high-efficiency P-type mono-PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) bifacial module ‘DUOMAX Twin.’ The modules have a 0~+5W positive power tolerance and have a 285-300W power range with 18% maximum conversion efficiency.
