China’s PV manufacturing base saw a major setback in the first and second quarters of 2012, with a severe slump in exports sparking the government to step in and further raise its PV installation target to 50GW, according to the latest quarterly report on China’s PV market from IMS Research. Tough competition in the global market place, vast oversupply and falling prices has put Chinese manufacturers’ balance sheets under huge pressure and China’s government has responded by more than doubling its long-term installation target from 20 to 50 GW by 2020.
US retail giant Walmart is continuing to fulfill its promise to invest in renewable energy and has installed solar panels on the rooftop of its College Avenue store in San Diego to generate electricity. This marks the company’s100th solar installation in California and is in line with its aim to expand its solar portfolio to more than 75% of its stores in the state, approximately 130 stores, by the end of 2013.
The Philippines’ solar industry is already exporting to countries like the US reaching figures of US$41.5 million, up 47.3% last year. Now, almost three years in the making, following petitioning by the Renewable Energy Board (NREB), the Philippines’ Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has finally approved an initial feed-in tariff rate for renewable energy. The FiT for all solar installations will be 9.68 PHP (US$0.23) per kWh, regardless of the size of the system or technology used.
Japan’s largest single utility-scale solar power plant, using 290,000 multicrystalline solar modules supplied by Kyocera is expected to cost in the region of US$345 million or approximately ¥27 billion when complet by autumn 2013. With project finance now in place, construction of the plant in Kagoshima City, on land owned by IHI Corporation, will start in September. The plant was initially announced in April 2012.
Patent infringement and claims of IP theft by DuPont, on rival materials supplier Heraeus and customer SolarWorld, were put in question by the accused as the legal spat continued to be played-out in public. Heraeus said in a strongly worded statement that DuPont was attempting to threaten customers over possible legal action, while Heraeus believes DuPont is attempting to discredit Heraeus' products with misleading information.
Suntech Power Holdings said it had started multiple legal proceedings against a number of unidentified parties regarding investment guarantees it provided for a joint venture PV power plant project developer, Global Solar Fund, S.C.A., Sicar (GSF). However, Suntech has claimed that a pledge of €560 million of German government bonds by a third-party investor of GSF, GSF Capital Pte Ltd., may never have existed. Suntech said that it may have to delay second quarter financial reporting as a result.
With insolvency protection proceedings underway, not surprisingly, centrotherm photovoltaics have said it would delay its Annual General Meeting and the first-half year financial results.
SolarCity is continuing its upward spiral. At the beginning of this week, the company announced its partnership with Credit Suisse on a second round of investment. SolarCity has now opened an expanded operations centre in Beltsville, US. The company is ensuring new jobs in Maryland and to give the state’s homeowners, businesses and non-profit organizations better energy options that can cost less than their utility bills. Attendees at today’s grand opening included US senator Ben Cardin, as well as state senator Jim Rosapepe and state delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk.
Emcore and Camstar Systems announced that Emcore will be replacing various legacy manufacturing systems with the Camstar Enterprise platform. The changes will be incorporated into different systems, including the manufacturing execution (MES), quality management and statistical process control (SPC). The solution aims to simplify the system complexities essential to running Emcore's wafer and cell processing and assembly, test and panel manufacturing.
IKEA has been on a roll this week announcing the completion of its latest rooftop solar projects on its US stores. Following its Chicago and Atlanta installations, the company revealed that its Draper, Utah store now has a 1,015kW system spread across 180,500 square feet of rooftop space producing electricity.
