capacity expansion

Analysts and developers alike have been saying that Mexico will be the next biggest solar market for years now. But according to GTM Research’s Manan Parikh, the time is finally approaching for solar to ‘take-off’ in Mexico.

Solar in Minnesota jumped 80% in the first three months of this year, with the state now harnessing almost half a gigawatt of installed capacity.

Virginia-headquartered utility Dominion Virginia Power has touted plans to boost its installed solar capacity for customers in Virginia and North Carolina.

Integrated PV firm Tata Power Solar has doubled its module manufacturing capacity and raised its cell capacity by 65% at its plant in Bangalore, southern India.

Module manufacturer Seraphim Solar is looking for fresh locations for future manufacturing plants and praises Mexico as both and end-market and a potential production centre.

Thin-film manufacturer Solar Frontier has begun commercial production at its new 150MW plant in Tohoku.

Manz, supplier of manufacturing equipment to the solar, energy storage and electronics industries has been forced to lay off 174 members of staff.

First Solar has announced shipment guidance for 2016 of 2.9-3.0GW for 2016 and confirmed that it has no immediate plans to expand production capacity.

India-based module manufacturer HHV Solar Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of renewable energy firm Swelect Energy, has ramped up its crystalline solar PV manufacturing line in Dabaspet, Bangalore, from 40MW to 100MW.

The big-six c-Si module suppliers in the solar PV industry today – collectively known now as the ‘Silicon Module Super League' – are forecast to take their collective market share of global module supply to almost 50% this, writes Finlay Colville.