Over 20% of China solar firms reportedly exit market in 2012

Jan 10, 10:46

According to China-based media reports, during boom times from 2010-2011, the number of firms in major solar segments (wafer, cell, and module) increased from 807 to 901, an increase...

Tier-one China-based makers reduce shipments in bid to hike prices for solar wafers, say Taiwan makers

Jan 8, 12:15

Tier-one China-based solar wafer makers have decreased shipments to control supply in an attempt to increase prices later in January, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

First Solar extends collaboration agreement with Intermolecular

Jan 8, 12:08

Intermolecular (IMI) and First Solar announced they have entered into a two-year collaboration and licensing agreement focused on further increases to the conversion efficiency of...

Taiwan solar cell makers hope to increase prices by 5-10%

Jan 7, 16:24

Taiwan-based tier-one solar cell firms plan to increase prices by 5-10%. According to downstream solar firms in Taiwan, solar cell makers previously did try to increase prices in...

China domestic polysilicon price likely to increase due to anti-dumping probe

Jan 7, 11:03

The price in the solar supply chain has been relatively stable since the second half of the fourth quarter in 2012. However, due to the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation...

Solar cell dumping eases in China

Jan 3, 22:01

China's solar supply chain has been dumping inventory recently but this has been easing as the number of competitors decreases. Many small- and medium-size firms are unlikely to revive...

Commentary: Are Japan-Taiwan solar alliances possible?

Jan 2, 12:02

Japan-based Kaneka, a solar firm that produces N-type mono-crystalline solar cell using heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) technology, has reportedly been discussing cooperation...

Hareon Solar obtains CNY500 million subsidy, say reports

Dec 27, 22:01

China-based Hareon Solar has announced that the firm has obtained government funding of CNY210 million (US$33 million), and has accumulated total subsidies of CNY500 million in one...

Commentary: Trade wars dominate global solar market in 2012

Dec 27, 14:14

For the global solar industry, 2012 has been about trade wars. The US and Europe both started anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations against the world's largest solar supply...

Taiwan solar firms not keen to invest in China projects

Dec 27, 11:06

China's domestic solar demand has been rising, but due to risks, Taiwan-based makers believe the best way to enter the market is to provide products such as solar cells instead of...

Taiwan-based solar firms likely to see falling December revenues

Dec 26, 21:26

Weather conditions and holidays in Europe and the US are likely to cause Taiwan-based solar firms to report falling December revenues.

Some tier-two China-based makers dumping solar modules in Europe

Dec 25, 12:04

While tier-one China-based solar module makers quote EUR0.45/watt in the Europe market and US$0.6/watt in the US market, a few tier-two China-based fellow makers are dumping solar...

Unitech to consolidate PCB, solar cell plants in Yilan

Dec 19, 21:30

Unitech Printed Circuit Board has decided to consolidate its PCB and solar cell plants in Yilan, northeastern Taiwan into a single subsidiary in order to help stem losses from the...

China solar firms eager to develop N-type mono-crystalline solar products

Dec 19, 15:51

N-type mono-crystalline solar cells have high production costs, making them less competitive. Nevertheless, China-based firms have been eager to enter the market.

Time not right to start production of N-type monocrystalline solar cells, say Taiwan makers

Dec 19, 14:20

While some China-based makers are actively developing N-type mono-crystalline solar cells featuring energy conversion rates of over 20% in a bid to win lending from banks, Taiwan-based...

Commentary: Delta and NSP will benefit from solar merger

Dec 14, 11:43

The merger of Taiwan-based solar firms Neo Solar Power (NSP) and DelSolar (a subsidiary of Delta Electronics) has been seen as beneficial and a necessary trend for the industry, as...

Continuous losses cause solar firms to shy away from N-type mono-crystalline product development

Dec 13, 15:34

The weak solar market has been delaying technological improvements for solar firms. Despite the fact that N-type mono-crystalline high efficiency product may achieve a breakthrough...

HIT solar cell maker Kaneka reportedly in cooperation discussions with Gintech and NSP

Dec 12, 21:48

Japan-based solar cell maker Kaneka reportedly plans to move technology for heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cells to Taiwan, helping Taiwan-based firms to begin...

Japan 3-busbar solar cell patent affects OEM orders to Taiwan

Dec 12, 14:06

Japan-based Kyocera obtained a 3-busbar solar cell patent in Japan in September 2012. Some other Japan-based solar firms have been asking Taiwan-based solar cell OEM firms to change...

Some China-based makers plan to sell solar cell equipment in Taiwan

Dec 12, 12:00

China-based integrated solar makers have considered measures to cope with the impact of US anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs, and some of them plan to sell solar cell production...

China spot prices for polysilicon to rise to US$18-20/kg if China imposes anti-dumping, anti-subsidy tariffs

Dec 11, 14:01

The China government is likely to impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariffs on polysilicon imported from the US, EU and South Korea in January or February 2013, and this...

Walsin Lihwa to face lawsuit against CIGS partner Solarion AG

Dec 6, 15:43

Taiwan-based Walsin Lihwa Holdings announced on December 5, 2012 that the firm is about to be sued by its partner, Germany-based Solarion AG, for violating a technology cooperation...

Price of solar cells with mid-range efficiency falls to US$0.25-0.3/watt

Dec 6, 15:38

The average price of solar cells with efficiency in the range of 16.2-16.6% was US$0.3/watt in November, according to solar makers, but the price has recently decreased to US$0.25-0.3/watt...

Motech to issue US$130 million Euro bonds

Nov 28, 15:01

Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker Motech Industries will issue Euro convertible bonds (ECBs) worth US$130 million to raise funds for overseas materials procurement,...

Taiwan solar cell makers to see 12GWp potential orders in 2013 due to US, EU anti-dumping, says TSEC chairman

Nov 20, 20:28

As China-based crystalline silicon solar cell makers are expected to release orders to makers in Taiwan, while Europe- and Japan-based vendors will shift orders from China to Taiwan...

Commentary: Economies of scale vs. larger burden in solar market

Nov 13, 16:08

Rumors that the three top Taiwan-based solar firms may consolidate into a few large-size firms has been circulating around in the industry. The industry has been questioning the benefits...

Taiwan solar cell makers hoping price drops will ease in December

Nov 13, 11:39

Taiwan-based solar cell makers expect China-based competitors to stop dumping their products in December when the off season begins, helping stabilize prices, according to industry...

Commentary: Taiwan solar supply chain faces marginalization threat

Nov 6, 14:56

Taiwan-based makers in the solar PV industry may not have merger plans currently, but they all agree that consolidation will be an inevitable step. According to sources from Taiwan's...

Thintech Materials awaits conductive paste certification from customers

Nov 6, 11:08

Thintech Materials, Taiwan's largest supplier of aluminum target material with a market share of over 50%, has revealed that it has sent samples of its aluminum and silver-aluminum...

Motech, NSP deny merger rumors

Nov 5, 10:51

The latest rumors regarding a possible merger between Taiwan-based solar cell makers Motech and Neo Solar Power (NSP) have been denied by both firms. In addition, rumors regarding...

Solar module prices continue to slide, but signs of recovery appear on the horizon, says IHS

Oct 31, 10:54

Overcapacity, a decline in pricing as well as slowing growth in key worldwide markets will serve to keep the global market for solar modules depressed for the rest of the year, with...