SunPower and Enphase team up with microinverter acquisition
Through the deal SunPower gets US$25 million and stock; however the bigger deal may be Enphase’s right to be the company’s exclusive residential inverter supplier.
First Solar breaks ground on 1.2 GW factory in the U.S.
The plant is the second-largest planned in the Western Hemisphere, and will triple the thin film module maker’s manufacturing capacity in the United States.
China PV slowdown could prompt deep module price falls in Q3
New policies affecting all solar market segments in China are likely to lead to production overcapacity in the second half of 2018. The new regulations, announced June 1, will likely see the Chinese market decline from an expected 40-45 GW to 30-35 GW for the year, analysts report.
Hyundai Heavy Industries returns to Australian solar market
On the back of a $70 million distribution agreement, Hyundai Heavy Industries Green Energy is re-entering Australia’s solar market, eyeing a strong pipeline of opportunities.
Sungrow announces residential storage market entry in Australia
Sungrow is best known for its PV inverter range – which covers the residential, C&I and power plant market segments. The Chinese inverter maker has hopes to see it gain increased traction in Australia by broadening its product portfolio in the country.
ABB showcases high powered string inverters for utility scale and C&I
Global infrastructure giant ABB is showcasing its PVS-120 sting inverters. The company claims that high power density can deliver Opex and Capex reductions for developers and EPCs.
Nextracker to supply trackers for 634 MW of First Solar projects
The tracker maker will also supply a new type of racking for the roll out of First Solar’s large-format Series 6 modules.
LG bumps up product warranty on NeON 2 to 25 years
Premium PV module producer and supplier LG Electronics Australia has increased its product warranty to 25 years. Having sold some 750,000 modules in Australia to date, LG reports a “very, very small” number of warranty claims.
Panasonic, Tesla reveal plan to produce lithium batteries in China
Tesla’s batteries may soon be Made in China. The announcement was made by Panasonic CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga during a conference accompanying the company’s 2018 fiscal-year results last Friday.
Hanwha Q Cells improves profitability, reduces 2018 shipment guidance
The solar module manufacturer reports that Europe will likely replace the United States as its number one market, due to Trump administration duties. While Q1 revenues grew by around 2.5% year-on year, and net profit almost doubled from $17.6 million to $31 million, the outlook for 2018 shipments has been reduced by 400 MW to 5.6 GW to 5.8 GW.
