The significant decline in the solar PV manufacturing supply chain in Europe in recent years has reached a critical condition, according to a string of R&D and trade groups in the region.
Major materials supplier Heraeus Photovoltaics has entered into a new strategic technology partnership with China-based multicrystalline solar cell producer, Solar Space, also known as Zhonghui Photovoltaics (Jiangsu Solar Space Photovoltaic Technology Co.), which was established 2010.
Diversified renewable energy firm Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE) has announced that it’s CEO, Xin (Eric) Luo and vice chairman Jianmin Shi have both resigned their positions at the company.
Struggling former ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Yingli Green Energy is putting greater emphasis on high-efficiency N-PERT monocrystalline ‘PANDA’ bifacial modules as a key part of its potential business turnaround.
Conductive inks specialist PV Nano Cell is joining forces with major materials firm, Merck to develop and deploy its single-crystal, nanometric inks such as copper and silver to expand its applications.
Leading polysilicon and solar wafer producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has awarded a number of construction contracts for its planned 60,000MT polysilicon plant under development in Xinjiang, China.
Inline solar cell measurement equipment specialist Aurora Solar Technologies (AST) said it had received a volume order from a confidential customer located in China for its ‘Decima’ Gemini systems and ‘Veritas’ wafer and process mapping software to be integrated into new high-efficiency bifacial cell production lines.
According to Bernreuter Research, polysilicon consumption for the production of solar wafers is set to impact the supply-side as the PV industry adopts diamond wire technologies that significantly lower kerf loss.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has said that EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN)has acquired an 80% interest in its 115MW Pirapora II PV power plant project in Brazil.
In recent years, potential-induced degradation (PID) has been recognized as a serious reliability issue for large PV systems, potentially causing efficiency losses of more than 90%, and even failures [1–4]. Such large decreases in efficiency may require the modules in the system to be replaced after just a few years’ operation. This has motivated a substantial research effort in the PV community, leading to a better understanding of the phenomenon, as well as to a range of mitigation strategies. A recent publication by Luo et al. gives a comprehensive overview of this research [5].
Although capacity expansion announcements in January remained subdued and followed the low level of activity seen in the second half of 2016, February proved to be the third busiest month since 2014 and the strongest February in more than three years. March did not maintain that momentum but still posted strong figures, the second highest March figures in more than three years.
Modules | PV module technology is more advanced and more varied than at any other time. Having pulled together a throng of senior PV technology experts for our PV CellTech conference, PV Tech’s head of market research, Finlay Colville, discusses with John Parnell the need to match these advances with a dedicated event this November.
ReneSola could become the latest solar company to take its manufacturing operations private after receiving an offer from its chairman and CEO, Xianshou Li.
