Japan to revise PV subsidy downward, investment in PV system installation may increase in the short run, says EnergyTrend

Nov 26, 14:23

Rumors have it that the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan (METI) is considering revising PV subsidy downward to JPY34/kWh in 2014 and JPY30/kWh in 2015. According to EnergyTrend, whether Japan's subsidy cut will come true or not, it is projected that Japan's market demand in both 2014...

US solar PV pipeline grows to 43GW; enough to power more than 6 million households, says Solarbuzz

Nov 26, 14:07

The pipeline of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects awaiting completion within the US has grown by 7% during the past 12 months, and now exceeds 43GW, which is enough to power more than six million US households, according to Solarbuzz.

Global PV installations to grow 20% in 2014, says Neo Solar Power chairman

Newswatch - Nov 25, 15:47

Global PV system installations are estimated at 36GWp for 2013 and is expected to increase by 20% to 43GWp in 2014, with demand mainly to come from China, Japan and the US, Taiwan-based Neo Solar Power chairman Quincy Lin said, according to the Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News...

PV materials market to have 9% CAGR through 2018, says Lux Research

Nov 25, 14:43

Massive oversupply and downward price pressure have created the misconception that the solar industry suffered from industry-wide commoditization. But not all solar modules are created equal, and profit margins can rise to double-digits for select enabling materials - even as overall materials sales...

Sola UK seeking Taiwan-based PV module suppliers, says paper

Newswatch - Nov 25, 12:40

UK-based PV EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) undertaker Sola UK is seeking suppliers of crystalline silicon PV modules through Taiwan's PIDA (Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association), according to a Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News (EDN)...

Prices for solar-grade silicon wafers rise to US$0.94, says paper

Newswatch - Nov 22, 11:38

Prices for solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers have risen to US$0.94/wafer due to tight supply, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) has cited Taiwan-based maker Gigastorage as indicating.

Integrated solar PV polysilicon and wafer suppliers to drive production costs below US$0.20 per watt in 2014, says Solarbuzz

Nov 20, 15:34

Average costs for vertically integrated first-tier makers are now forecast to fall yet another 6% in 2014 to a record low of US$0.20 per watt, according to Solarbuzz. Since 2008, solar PV wafer manufacturing costs (the combined costs of polysilicon and wafer processing) have declined more than 16%...

Giga Solar to set up 5MWp PV system in Palau, says paper

Newswatch - Nov 19, 12:00

Taiwan-based photovoltaic (PV) conductive paste maker Giga Solar Materials will establish a 5MWp PV system in Palau, with power purchase agreement to be signed with Palau Public Utilities Corp (PPUC) by the end of 2013 and completion of the PV system scheduled for the end of 2014, according to the...

Annual worldwide solar PV installations to double by 2020, says firm

Nov 13, 10:48

Despite waning government support, the threat of international trade wars, and high-profile bankruptcies, the solar photovoltaic (PV) market continues to grow. Solar PV technology costs have steadily declined, and pathways to further cost reduction are being pursued. By the end of this decade, solar...

Solar capital spending to expand faster than expected, says IHS

Nov 12, 14:19

Amid new signs that solar market conditions are improving and major suppliers are increasing production, IHS is raising its forecast of photovoltaic (PV) capital spending. Global capital spending in 2014 by producers of PV modules, cells, ingots, wafers and polysilicon will rise by a robust 42% to...

Neo Solar October revenues hit 31-month high

Stockwatch - Nov 8, 11:13

Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker Neo Solar Power on November 7 reported consolidated revenues of NT$2.3 billion (US$78.0 million) for October, a 31-month high, with growth of 1.31% on month and 179.56% on year, and those of NT$15.353 billion for January-October, hiking on year by 41...

Europe solar PV revival to be driven by Germany, UK, Italy, and France, says Solarbuzz

Nov 8, 10:43

The Europe solar photovoltaic (PV) market is poised to recover during the fourth quarter of 2013, after an 18-month downturn that redefined the role of Europe within the global solar PV industry. Quarterly PV demand from Europe is now set to stabilize at the 2.5GW level during the first half of 2014,...

Neo Solar 3Q13 operation turns profitable, Gintech October revenues hit 25-month high

Nov 7, 11:07

Taiwan-based solar cell maker Neo Solar Power saw its business operation swing from net operating loss of NT$516 million (US$17.3 million) for the first half of 2013 to net operating profit of NT$502 million for the third quarter, while fellow maker Gintech Energy generated 25-month high consolidated...

Giga Solar expects to ship 30 tons of front-side silver paste, says paper

Newswatch - Nov 6, 14:23

Giga Solar Materials has seen monthly shipments of front-side silver paste increase to over four tons and expects to ship 30 tons of the material in 2013 and 100 tons in 2014, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

Motech 3Q13 operation improves

Stockwatch - Nov 5, 11:03

Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker Motech Industries has reported that its third-quarter 2013 consolidated revenues grew 24.26% sequentially to NT$6.346 billion (US$213 million), while gross operating profit hiked 104.61% to NT$771 million and net profit soared 273.38% to NT$394 milli...

Suntech Power to be acquired by Shunfeng Photovoltaic, says report

Oct 30, 11:01

Shunfeng Photovoltaic International, a China-based maker of solar-grade crystalline silicon wafers, cells and PV modules, has reportedly obtained permission from China's authorities to acquire Suntech Power (Wuxi), the flagship subsidiary maker of China-based Suntech Power Holdings listed on the New...

Multicrystalline silicon modules to dominate solar PV industry in 2014, says Solarbuzz

Oct 28, 14:56

The production of multicrystalline-silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is set to dominate PV manufacturing during 2014, with p-type multi c-Si technology accounting for 62% of all modules produced, according to Solarbuzz.

Giga Solar Materials starts construction of PV power plant in Japan

Oct 28, 14:29

Taiwan-based PV conductive paste maker Giga Solar Materials on October 25 began construction of a ground-mounted PV power-generating station with an annual capacity of 17MWp in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, with completion scheduled for the end of 2014, according to company chairman Chen...

Inventec aims at NT$15 billion revenues from PV business in 2014

Oct 28, 10:49

Taiwan-based Inventec Group aims to increase revenues from PV business operations to NT$15 billion (US$517 million) in 2014, hiking 50% on year, according to group president Yeh Kuo-I.

GET aims to hike solar-grade silicon wafer ASPs 3-5% in 4Q13

Oct 23, 21:42

Green Energy Technology (GET), in view of tight supply of solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers arising from increasing demand in China, Japan and emerging markets, aims to increase ASPs by 3-5% in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to company president Swean Lin.

SunPartner and 3M collaborate to deliver wireless transparent solar charging system for consumer mobile electronics

Oct 22, 16:17

Sunpartner Technologies and 3M have announced an agreement to collaborate in product development and technical solutions. The two companies are developing a sustainable wireless transparent micro component that will charge devices while they are being used and exposed to light. This development will...

Taiwan PV makers seize opportunities in monocrystalline market as PV self-consumption increases, says firm

Oct 22, 16:08

According to EnergyTrend, demand for PV self-consumption continues to increase in Europe due to decreased feed in tariffs and increased electricity price and surcharge fees for grid-connection. Moreover, the installation area of roof-top systems is somewhat limited, thus users pay more attention on...

Energy storage systems for solar and wind power integration will surpass US$10 billion in annual market value by 2023, says firm

Oct 21, 15:00

Global markets boasted 51,000MW of wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity installed in 2012, and while some variable generation markets may slow or stall, there is no doubt that wind and solar markets will continue to expand over the next ten years. That growth will require grid...

Motech unveils Sirius series monocrystalline silicon soar cells

Oct 18, 15:06

Taiwan-based Motech Industries on October 17 unveiled its Sirius series monocrystalline silicon solar cells with a maximum energy conversion rate of 20.5% and will kick off volume production in the first quarter of 2014.

IHS cuts global solar inverter revenues forecast in light of heavy price declines

Oct 17, 15:29

Global market revenues for solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters will drop by 9% in 2013, due to rapid price declines for commercial and utility-scale inverters and intense cost pressure in mature markets such as Germany and Italy, according to IHS.

Foxconn obtains UL certification for PV module frames

Oct 17, 12:15

Foxconn Electronics has obtained Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification for frames for PV systems and the company indicated that it currently produces such frames on an OEM basis.

Better prospects in polysilicon market lead to increased PV demand in 1Q14, says EnergyTrend

Oct 16, 14:37

According to EnergyTrend, the intensive pricing competition in the photovoltaic (PV) market has gradually come to an end. Due to the increased demand in emerging markets, solar system demand in 2014 is likely to rise substantially. The total amount of grid-connected installations is likely to reach...

Spot prices for solar-grade silicon wafers slightly up, says GET

Oct 15, 12:19

The average spot market quote for solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafer has risen slightly by 1.18% to US$0.86/W, while that for high-efficiency models by 1.09% to US$0.926/W, according to Taiwan-based maker Green Energy Technology (GET).

Gigastorage September revenues up over 72% on year

Oct 9, 15:13

Solar-grade crystalline silicon wafer maker Gigastorage has reported September consolidated revenues of NT$648 million (US$21.7 million), rising 76.22% on year and by 8.07% on month, according to the company.

GET September revenues hit 24-month high

Stockwatch - Oct 8, 15:07

Solar-grade crystalline silicon ingot and wafer maker Green Energy Technology (GET) has reported consolidated revenues of NT$1.16 billion (US$39.3 million) for September 2013, the highest monthly level since October 2011 and increasing 2.81% on month and 225.99% on year.

Solar PV installations reach record high of 9GW in 3Q13, says Solarbuzz

Oct 4, 12:26

During the third quarter of 2013, end-market demand from the global solar PV industry reached a new record of 9GW. This record demand is up 6% on quarter and almost 20% on year, according to Solarbuzz.

Neo Solar September revenues hit 30-month high

Stockwatch - Oct 4, 10:19

Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker Neo Solar Power on October 3 reported consolidated revenues of NT$2.27 billion (US$75.9 million) for September 2013, the highest monthly level since April 2011, and increasing 7.81% on month and 156.21% on year.

Countervailing duty imposed on China imports of US polysilicon may have limited impact on price, says EnergyTrend

Oct 3, 15:03

The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) recently announced that subsidies were applied to US polysilicon under investigation which led to substantive damages toward China's domestic industry. Thus, a countervailing duty of 6.5% has been imposed on two of US vendors, Hemlock...

Global solar installation growth set to hit 3-year high in 2014, says IHS

Oct 3, 14:51

Global photovoltaic (PV) installations are forecast to rise at the fastest pace in three years in 2014, exceeding 40GW for the first time and generating installation revenue of more than US$86 billion, according to IHS.

Giga Solar September revenues hit record

Stockwatch - Oct 3, 11:24

PV conductive paste maker Giga Solar Materials has reported record consolidated revenues of NT$408 million (US$13.6 million) for September, growing 11.03% sequentially and 128.13% on year.

Current solar technologies are not enough to reach SunShot US$1/W installed goal, says Lux Research

Oct 2, 15:26

A look at disruptive solar innovations finds that technologies built around crystalline silicon (x-Si) modules are the most likely to find commercial success even though they will not meet the "SunShot" targets of US$1/W installed set by the US Department of Energy for 2020, according to...

Solartech September revenues hit 15-month high

Stockwatch - Oct 2, 12:11

Taiwna-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker Solartech Energy has reported consolidated revenues of NT$701 million (US$23.4 million) for September, the highest monthly level since July 2012 with on-month growth of 7.51% and on-year growth of 127.74%.

Japan zero nuclear power issue triples PV market demand in 2013, says EnergyTrend

Oct 1, 14:31

Regular inspections have been conducted on the number four reactor at Japan's Oi nuclear power plant. However, delayed inspections has once again led to Japan's "zero nuclear power" status. Since nuclear power is still the major source of base-load electricity while other units are still...

Coupled solar and energy storage market to grow to US$2.8 billion in 2018, says Lux Research

Oct 1, 14:24

Corporates playing in the solar and energy storage segments have long dreamed of combining the two complementary technologies to differentiate products and defend margins. This symbiotic match shows promise, yielding a US$2.8 billion market over the next five years, according to Lux Research.

Gigastorage acquires Wafering to expand solar wafer capacity

Stockwatch - Oct 1, 11:05

Solar wafer maker Gigastorage has announced the acquisition of a 100% stake in fellow maker Wafering Technology for NT$110 million (US$3.7 million) to expand production capacity.

Emerging solar markets set for rapid installation expansion through 2017, says IMS Research

Sep 30, 14:26

The next big opportunity for growth in the global solar business lies in small, emerging markets where photovoltaic (PV) installations are forecast to rise at about triple the global average during the period from 2012-2017.

No large PV capital spending globally before 2015, says Applied Materials executive

Sep 30, 13:19

Global PV production capacity is not expected to significantly increase in the near future and therefore there will not be any large PV capital expenditure before 2015, according to senior marketing manager Wesley Skinner for Applied Materials.

China to retain dominance of solar industry despite looming shakeout, says Lux Research

Sep 27, 13:58

After years of breakaway growth, China's solar industry is poised for a big shakeout, with consolidation and failing firms. However, the changes are not going to change the Asian giant's global dominance over the resurgent sector anytime soon, according to Lux Research.

Fabless fable unlikely to come true for PV market, says IMS Research

Sep 26, 14:19

After years of oversupply, the supply and demand for solar devices is returning to a state of balance. Because of this, IMS Research is reiterating its forecast that global capital spending by producers of photovoltaic (PV) modules, cells, ingots, wafers and polysilicon is expected to rise by 30% in...

Commercial segment set to lead solar energy storage market by 2017, says IMS Research

Sep 24, 15:47

Currently the smallest part of the global solar energy storage business, the commercial segment, is projected to expand by a factor of 700 in the coming years and become the largest market segment in 2017, according to IMS Research.

Gintech to offer own-brand PV modules, Solartech, NSP to expand capacity, says paper

Newswatch - Sep 23, 14:51

Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker Gintech Energy will offer PV modules for own-brand sale by the end of 2013, and fellow makers Solartech Energy and Neo Solar Power (NSP) will expand annual PV module production capacity from 30MWp currently to 60MWp in the fourth quarter of 2013 and...

Giga Solar expects to ship 10 metric tons of front-side silver paste in 4Q13, says paper

Newswatch - Sep 23, 14:18

Taiwan-based PV conductive paste maker Giga Solar Materials has reached monthly shipments of three metric tons of front-side silver paste and expects to ship 10 metric tons in the fourth quarter of 2013, resulting in shipments of 20 metric tons for the year, according to a Chinese-language Economic...

China raises threshold for PV makers

Sep 23, 11:46

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has announced regulations on the PV industry, setting standards intended for healthy development of the country's PV industry.

China to impose anti-subsidization tariffs on polysilicon imported from US

Sep 17, 15:32

China's Ministry of Commerce on September 16 announced that solar-grade polysilicon imported from the US will be subject to provisional anti-subsidization tax beginning September 20.