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solar modules

German Company Plans 1 Gigawatt Solar Panel Factory In Egypt

written by saurabh

A German solar power company is planning to set up a modules manufacturing unit in Egypt using local raw material.

PSE AG recently announced plans to set up a solar modules manufacturing facility with a capacity of 1 gigawatts at an unnamed location in Egypt. The facility shall use Egyptian silica to manufacture solar cells and panels.

The company shall first run a feasibility study to determine if Egyptian silica can be used for manufacturing efficient solar cells and panels. For this study the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has sanctioned funds worth $594,000.

Upon the positive outcome of the study, the manufacturing unit would be established within 2-3 years. PSE AG is also expected to set a one gigawatt solar power project using the panels manufactured which will be a true test of their efficiency.

Egypt has seen a massive surge in solar power project development of the last few months with several leading companies setting up projects in the Aswan solar power park.

The feed-in tariffs offered for the Aswan solar power park are comparable to tariffs of most solar power projects in the Middle East. However, it will be interesting to see if Egyptian modules can compete with Chinese modules in terms of prices.

The cheapest solar power projects in the Middle East use modules from China. Phase III of Dubai solar power park use Canadian Solar panels while one of the cheapest solar power park in the world – Abu Dhabi solar power park – will likely use Chinese modules manufactured by JinkoSolar.

Image by vectoropenstock.com for Cleantechies

05/24/2017 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India Issues Draft Rules For Solar Module Quality

written by saurabh

In an attempt to ensure longevity of solar power projects and, perhaps, take greater control of the equipment used, India has issued draft rules for quality standards of solar modules and inverters.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently released the draft rules, which have also been communicated to members of the World Trade Organization. The draft outline the obligations of the module and inverter manufacturers and the specific quality standards for various types of modules.

This draft could not have come at a better time. Solar power bids are at record lows with growing concerns over the quality of solar modules being used by project developers who quote record low bids I’m every new tender.

Solar power bids in India collapsed by 26% in a matter of three months in conjugation with the steep fall in module prices. Yet, many are not convinced if falling module prices and cheaper funding justify the never-seen-before bids.

A big reason for the collapse in bid prices, according to industry sources is the jump in imports from China. In addition to modules, inverters and other equipment are being imported from China in massive volumes. The thermal power equipment manufacturers in India have voiced their concerns about the predatory prices and poor quality of Chinese imports on several occasions. Same concerns are now being raised about solar imports.

Setting standards for solar power equipment could also help Indian manufacturers expand their presence in the Indian market. Indian module manufacturers have been left behind in the race to low solar power bids as they are unable to match the Chinese prices. Perhaps, through the introduction of quality standards the Indian government would be able to provide an indirect support to these companies.

India decided not to levy import duties on imported modules, a common practice in Europe, the US and China. It, instead, pushed for mandatory use of Indian-made modules for some projects. This strategy took a hit when the US secured a judgement from the WTO against it last year.

05/23/2017 0 comment

Renewable Energy

JA Solar Module Shipments To India Cross 1,000 Megawatts

written by saurabh

Chinese solar modules manufacturer JA Solar has achieved an important milestone in one of the fastest growing solar power markets in the world.

JA Solar recently announced that it has achieved 1,000 megawatts of cumulative solar modules shipments in India. The company estimates that these shipments represent 1.7 billion kWh of electricity generation and 1.47 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions offsets.

The company saw a sharp jump in shipments to India in 2016 as well as first quarter of 2017. These claims are in line with the sharp jump in capacity addition in India. Chinese solar module manufacturers have always commanded a majority share in solar module imports in India. China-made modules have gained spotlight over the last few months as the government and government-owned companies have launched tenders of several hundreds of megawatts garnering record-low tariff bids from modules.

In FY2013-14, of all the solar power modules imported into India 65% were from Chinese manufacturers. This figure increased to 70% in the subsequent financial year. Foreign companies have benefitted from Indian government’s policy not to impose anti-dumping duties on imported solar power modules.

The rapid increase in solar power capacity in India has benefitted other foreign manufacturers as well. Last year, First Solar announced that its cumulative solar power module shipment to India has crossed 1 GW and it has become the first thin-film solar panel manufacturer to achieve this feat. Chinese manufacturer ReneSola also announced that it expected shipment of more than 1,000 megawatts to India in FY2016-17.

JA Solar may also be looking to set up module manufacturing units in India. In 2015 the company entered an agreement with Essel Group to to set up a manufacturing facility for solar cells and modules. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 500 MW worth of solar cells and modules every year. The joint venture will invest an estimated $150 million in the production company, of which about $30 to 45 million will be equity funding.

04/20/2017 0 comment

Renewable Energy

BHEL Expands Solar Module, Cell Manufacturing Facility In India

written by saurabh

With an eye on the rapidly expanding Indian solar power market, the public sector company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has expanded its current solar module and cell manufacturing facilities.

According to a press release issued by the company, it expanded a 26 megawatts solar module manufacturing facility to a capacity of 200 megawatts. The company also commissioned a solar cell manufacturing assembly line with capacity of 105 megawatts. Both the facilities are located in the southern state of Karnataka.

Encouraged by the enormous capacity target of 100 gigawatts by March 2022 and sharp fall in raw material costs, several Indian companies have announced plans to set up new and expand existing facilities for solar module and cell production.

BHEL is expected to supply solar modules to project developers that secured solar power projects mandated to use Indian-made modules.

According to the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, as on 30 June 2016, India had 20 companies actively involved in solar cell production. As many as 94 companies are manufacturing solar PV modules in the country.

Solar cell manufacturing capacity in India has increased from 1,216 MW in June 2014 to 1,468 MW in June 2016. Capacity utilisation in June 2014 was a measly 20% which has increased to 76.5% in June 2016.

Growth in the solar PV module manufacturing capacity has been much greater than that in the solar cell manufacturing sector. From an installed capacity base of 2,348 MW in June 2014, the module manufacturing capacity has increased by nearly three times to 6,848 MW. The capacity utilisation has also increased from 28% to around 74%.

The Indian government is looking to further enhance the domestic solar cell and manufacturing sector. The government is planning financial support package of $3.1 billion to solar power equipment manufacturing sector. The support, possibly in the form capital cost support, could be offered on per MW basis.

01/30/2017 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Vikram Solar To Expand Solar Module Production Capacity To 2 GW

written by saurabh

Vikram Solar, India-based solar module manufacturer has announced plans to expand its manufacturing capacity to 2 GW by 2019. The current manufacturing capacity of the company stands at 500 MW.

The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German Teamtechnik to support its expansion plans. Under the MoU, Teamtechnik will supply equipment for solar module production and put them into operation as well as train operations managers, process engineers and service technicians at Vikram Solar.

Both the companies are also planning to collaborate in the area of materials research, process optimization and production technology in future, with the intention of improving solar panel efficiencies while continuing to reduce module costs.

The company’s collaboration with Teamtechnik for module capacity expansion will further supplement its existing collaboration with Fraunhofer ISE, Meyer Burger and Centrotherm.

Vikarm Solar plans to invest over INR 400 crore (US$6.04 million) for the expansion plan and expected to generate more than 3,000 jobs.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, MD & CEO of Vikram Solar said, “We are very happy to work with Teamtechnik. Their solutions have been shown to facilitate production of highly efficient solar modules while keeping costs particularly low. Another key factor in our decision was that their production technology can be expanded in order to integrate highly efficient technologies such as PERC and bifacial cells into the production process.”

Vikram Solar is the only Indian solar module manufacturer to be listed in the Tier 1 PV module manufacturer rankings maintained by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The company, earlier this year, announced that it expanded operations and services in 14 new markets in sub-Saharan Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

09/23/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Solar Frontier Plans Solar Module Manufacturing Unit In Saudi Arabia

written by saurabh

Japanese Thin-film module manufacturer, Solar Frontier has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with oil company Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Arabian National Industrial Cluster Development Programme to undertake a joint study into the possibility of CIS solar panel production in Saudi Arabia for future solar farms.

Showa Shell Sekiyu, parent company of Solar Frontier in collaboration will work on the feasibility study to assess the technological and economic aspects of CIS thin-film solar panel production in Saudi Arabia. This feasibility study is part of an economic reform initiative of Saudi Arabia known as Vision 2030.

Showa Shell Sekiyu already has strong ties and interests with Saudi Arabia as well as Saudi Aramco. Company’s current move will further strengthen its presence in Saudi Arabia’s solar energy sector. Limited information is currently available and any further developments will be announced based on the results of this joint feasibility study.

Solar Frontier is one of the largest CIS solar panel producers in the world with over 1.1 GW of CIS module production capacity.

Saudi Arabia is one of the best-suited locations for the installation of CIS modules. In high temperature and dry climate CIS panels offer higher output in comparison with regular PV modules and other thin film PV modules.

Saudi Arabia aims to generate 9.5GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The government has already started work on setting up a solar module manufacturing unit in the country. International planning, architecture, and interior design firm, ci design, has been selected to lead the design and planning of a 110 MW solar PV modules manufacturing facility set to be developed by the Al-Afandi Group. The facility will be built at the Industrial Valley of the King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Image by vectoropenstock.com for Cleantechies

09/21/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Soft Costs in US PV markets

written by Walter Wang

Kristen Ardani of the National Renewable Energy Labs studies soft costs in US PV markets, and she recently joined us for a webinar to present her findings, in advance of a full report (to come in a few weeks). A pdf of the presentation is here (pdf) or watch the full recording in all its glory.

11/12/2012 0 comment

Renewable Energy

U.S.’s Largest Solar Factory Halted in Face of Dropping Prices

written by Yale Environment 360

General Electric has halted construction of what would have been the largest solar factory in the U.S. due to the falling price of photovoltaic modules globally and says it will focus instead on developing the next generation of cadmium-telluride thin-film technologies for the developers of solar plants.

07/06/2012 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Midwest Company Sheds New Light on Solar Power

written by Walter Wang

The scope of solar power application is enormous and a new portable solution has caught our attention.

The product of the imagination and ingenuity of an engineer called Mark Turczynski from Western Illinois, Powershed is a portable shed with solar panels fixed to the top so that it can be used in the

04/04/2012 0 comment

Renewable Energy

New Record for High Concentration Phovoltaic Solar Modules

written by Walter Wang

A new record has been set by the high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar module industry. A module made by Semprius, a company in which Siemens invested as a strategic partner in June 2011, reached 33.9 percent, breaking the previous record of 32 per cent. The module was tested by the Instituto de Energía Solar at the Universidad

02/06/2012 2 comments

Renewable Energy

German Solar Company Enters U.S. Market

written by Walter Wang

Gehrlicher Solar, a German solar energy company that entered the U.S. market in late 2010, has already completed two systems and has six more under construction. The company is headquartered in Springfield, NJ.

“The expansion into the U.S. market has been an

12/20/2011 2 comments

Renewable Energy

German Giant to Establish Ontario Solar Manufacturing Facility

written by

International fuel designer and manufacturer, Quantum Technologies, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with German solar company, Asola, to establish a manufacturing plant in Ontario. The joint venture have the two companies team up with Canadian partner, Evergreen Power Ltd, to produce and distribute high quality solar modules

08/17/2010 0 comment

Renewable Energy

How Will France Support a Skyrocketing Solar Market?

written by Benjamin Cros

Since 2007, the French photovoltaic market has been booming, with close to 500 megawatts of installed capacity expected this year, up from a mere 40 megawatts three years ago.

Most of this growth first stemmed from residential installations that benefited from high feed-in-tariffs for producers and substantial tax rebates for households. Since last year larger installations have also been skyrocketing.

On September 14, the French government released a draft regulation detailing the upcoming changes regarding photovoltaic electricity feed-in-tariffs in France. This draft is pending approval from the Conseil Supérieur de l’Energie (Energy Supreme Council) until late September.

10/01/2009 2 comments