After the significant upwards revisions made to global solar PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the first half of 2017, which we reviewed in a previous blog, the third quarter was characterised by much more tempered plans.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member GCL System Integrated Technology (GCL-SI) has appointed a new chairman and chief executive officer as Zhu Gongshan, the majority shareholder with the GCL group steps down from the post of chairman of the board.
Major China-based PV module manufacturer Risen Energy has recently signed a framework agreement to build and operate a 5GW monocrystalline cell and module plant in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China.
Solar PV capital expenditure (capex) covering the midstream segments of the industry (c-Si ingot-to-module and thin-film) is now well into its second major upturn in spending, going into 2018, at a time when the industry is just about to move to a new phase in annual deployment levels of greater than 100GW.
The German subsidiary of UK firm Oxford Photovoltaics (PV) has been awarded €15 million (~US$18 million) by the European Investment bank (EIB) to support the commercialisation of the company’s perovskite photovoltaic technology.
BP has said the promising “fundamentals” behind the current global solar market triggered it to re-enter and the petrol giant now has ambitious plans for worldwide growth.
When JinkoSolar released its third quarter results last week – and guided full year 2017 module shipment figures – the company remained on track to overachieve on final quarter shipments, thereby becoming the first ever PV supplier to ship more than 10 GW of modules in a calendar year. Finlay Colville explores how Jinko has managed to double its market share in the space of four years and where the company might be headed to next.
