Petitions have been filed in the US requesting the launch of investigations into several solar manufacturers accused of circumventing antidumping and countervailing duties by using entities based in Southeast Asia.
From technology trends breaking out at scale, China’s mind-blowing deployment, a certain trade case in the US and of course, one or two notable bankruptcies, 2017 was never short of drama. But which stories drew your attention in 2017?
US utility firm NextEra Energy has questioned the motives of the two Section 201 petitioners, Suniva and SolarWorld, and warned the foreign-owned US-based manufacturers could not hope to meet domestic demand.
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has said it would consider filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) if the US brings in solar import restrictions, according to Reuters.
Between the Section 201 case and a search for new owners, SolarWorld Americas is currently going through major changes that look set to see the company root itself more firmly in the US.
Once upon a time, it was relatively easy to verify a PV module manufacturer’s shipment claims and therefore any market share gains or shipment milestone claims as the majority of leading companies were public listed entities.
Crystalline-silicon solar manufacturer SolarWorld Americas announced Thursday that it has supplied 14.2MW of its solar panels for a project in Nevada that combines both complementary solar and geothermal power generation.
Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) has taken a 49% stake in SolarWorld Industries GmbH, the new entity that purchased SolarWorld AG’s core manufacturing assets, according to reports in Qatar.
The Energy Trade Action Coalition (ETAC) released a statement Monday urging the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to put an end to the Section 201 trade case brought up by SolarWorld and Suniva.
