Asia – Page 3 – Solar Magazine

Every hour of the first three months of 2014 a PV plant will be installed

Solar PV demand to reach 49GW in 2014

The PV market data analyst, NPD Solarbuzz, shows that global solar PV request will get to 49 GW next year.

The forecast shows that 5 MW of phtovoltsics are to be installes evey hour, at least in the first trimester, a record for solar installations. Global solar analysts NPD Solarbuzz have predicted that the PV demand will gow to 49 GW in 2014.

Moreover, starting from the final three months of this year and finishing with the first one in 2014, 22 GW of capacity will be planted, meaning a new 5 MW farm will rise every hour. Though 36 GW of estimated capacity is to be installed by the end of next year, that figure is said to be aced by 30%.

“The solar PV industry has reached a critical tipping point, with end-market demand hitting record levels almost every quarter.” said NPD Solarbuzz vice president Finlay Colville. “This growth is being driven by leading module suppliers and project developers that returned to profitability during 2013, and which have now established highly effective global sales and marketing networks,” he added.

The data analyst also says that the last semester of this year will break even more records for solar capacity since the 12GW barrier is set to be broken for the first time in the history of PV, record to be overcome in the first semester of the next year.
At the top of the list with the higher demand are the Chinese market, the Japanese one and U.S is leading,, and most of the panels installed next year will be located in this areas.

“Manufacturing overcapacity and pricing erosion within the PV industry was previously a key factor in limiting annual growth to between 10-20% between 2011 and 2013.With a more stable pricing environment and the prospect of increased end-market globalization, NPD Solarbuzz forecasts a return to annual growth above 30% for the PV industry in 2014.” announced Colville.

Roxana MORARU

EU puts an end to the anti-subsidy actions for Chinese solar

Price on Chinese solar products stay the same

No new anti-subsidy action on Chinese solar products

As foreseen, the EU reported that the summer trade deal is going to be the universal solution for its subsidy and dumping investigations. This comes as disappointment to the European producers.

The European Union announced that they will not change the prices agreed in the summer with the manufacturers of Chinese solar wafers, cells and modules will not change. So the minimum price and the export volume cap discussed with the manufacturers will put an end effectively to the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations.

The official EU announcement on Monday was not declared so but the effectively uses the agreement thrashed out by trade commissioner Karel De Gucht and his Chinese Ministry of Commerce counterpart in July as a blanket solution to the twin-track trade war.

EU also announced the provisional anti-dumping duties of almost 50% applied to all solar products from China since August will be extended for two years for two years from Friday as a final measure.

But still, the hefty duty that enlarges the provisional decision for not imposing duties for the anti-subsidy part of the objection of the EU solar manufacturers is not valid for the producers from China as part of the EU-brokered minimum price commitment and volume cap.

The anti-subsidy investigation has come to the conclusion that the that subsidies were implemented by the Chinese government in contravention of World Trade Organization rules, yet has decided to give no extra punishment above the De Gucht trade deal.

The greenhouse in Fukushima tested by Solar Frontier

Thee greenhouse in Fukushima is to have PV installations

Fukushima grenhouse tested for PV

The Greenhouse PV Demonstration Project lead by Japan’s METI is included in a residential solar promotion campaign.

Japan’s thin film solar module manufacturer Solar Frontier started to test the greenhouse situated in Farmland in the Fukushima area of Japan, by planting solar installations.

Fukushima, the place of 2011’s tsunami and the following nuclear accident, is a place that has been managed very carefully since the two years old disaster.

Still, emboldened by the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s (METI) “Projects Promoting Residential Solar and Economic Recovery 2012” program, the module manufacturer has started investigating the chances of solar energy to succeed in this area by partly supplying actual greenhouses with solar panels.

The “Greenhouse PV Demonstration Project” is a gathered project initiated by Solar Frontier and the Fukushima government to prove that the potential solar sale revenue of a selected greenhouse in Fukushima is real. Solar Frontier will install 324 solar panels with 50 kW total rated capacity across 1,300m² of greenhouse roofs and the greenhouse continues to grow its produce.

The point is to test how much impact will have the shading of the solar panels on the growth of the fruits and vegetables in the area. Results are to be published at the beginning of the next year, and could be a part of a new agricultural revenue stream for the PV industry.

German ground mount experts Belectric are also a part of the project, and are responsible with constructing and engineering the project, and inverters are supplied by SMA and greenhouse expertise coming from Les Industries Harnois.

The main purpose if Solar Frontier is the recovery of Fukushima and the company is giving away the solar power to local elementary and junior high schools in an effort to help fill the energy gap created when Japan decided to take its nuclear power plants offline.

Photovoltaic installations in China are to reach 12 GW next year

Jiangsu province is leading the list of top PV installations

China is at the moment leading the total Asia Pacific baseline prognosiss to 24 GW for 2014, with the maximum of 32 GW.

China is at the moment leading the total Asia Pacific guideline prediction to 24 GW for 2014, with an upside as high as 32 GW, as NPD Solarbuzz report.

According to NPD Solarbuzz report, new solar installations are said to be as high as12 GW — a figure that certifies the preceding forecast.

The upcoming installations combine 8 GW of distributed PV generation and 4 GW of ground mounted arrays. Moreover, the Jingsu Province is said to be the head of the market with 1.3 GW of quotas in the pipeline. The provinces of Shandong and Zhejiang are next with 1.2 GW and 1.1 GW, respectively. Other provinces are in the top ten list, list that consists of Hebei, Guangdong, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Henan and Gansu.

The published measuress for 2014 should bring confidence to project investements in China PV and reflects “the positive attitude of the Bureau of Energy towards the rooftop segment,” NPD Solarbuzz announced.

The Bureau of Energy believes the allocation to the ground mounted segment can be adjusted based on the progress of installations in 2014.

NPD Solarbuzz also said that the growth in solar photovoltaic request from China was “now driving the total Asia Pacific (APAC) baseline forecast to 24 GW for 2014, with an upside as high as 32 GW.”

The solar market research company also said that the addition from the APAC region was a significant contributor to its upgrade of global prediction for 2014 to the 45-55 GW level.

China is to have the greatest request for solar PV again next year.

Multicrystalline silicon modules will keep rising in the PV industry in 2014

The photovoltaic manufacture is said to reach a 50 GW a landmark in 2014. As NPD Solarbuzz reports, the progressive p-type multi segment will see the biggest technology share gain in the up-coming year. They also say that Space-constrained PV deployment, as it is sayd in Japan, is responsible for the growth in high-efficiency c-Si modules.

Moreover, as NPD Solarbuzz PV Equipment Quarterly shows, the manufacturing of multicrystalline-silicon (c-Si) modules is going to be ahead in the PV production in 2014, and p-type multi c-Si technology wu=ill stand for 62% of all manufactured modules.

Solar PV producers are willing to increase module production by 25% next year to 49.7 GW of modules, as now there are GW of modules. Solarbuzz says the forecast is updated and the end-market request for solar PV will reach 45 to 55 GW in 2014.

“PV manufacturers continue to prioritize cost-reduction across the entire c-Si value-chain, with improvements in efficiency coming mainly from higher-quality multi c-Si wafers,” is the opinion of Finlay Colville, NPD Solarbuzz vice president. “While there will inevitably be short-term supply issues throughout the year, polysilicon and wafer supply is considered adequate for 45 to 50 GW of c-Si module shipments in 2014”, he added.

He also said that Chinese cell and module suppliers will have a flexible producing strategy going on and the new capacity will arise in the second half of the next year.

The film production will still lose market share going from 9.4% in 2013 to 8.9% in 2014. Those who invest in the latest thin film manufacturing equipment are fewer with an an eight-year low this year, but are said to increase two years from now, as suppliers from now and new comers into the market add capacity, as the report shows.

By 2014, Solar Frontier and First Solar, the main thin-film suppliers, will roughly manufacture about 85% of all thin-film modules, as predicted by NPD Solarbuzz.

The basic p-type multi c-Si modules will once more be the world’s top technology, in account with 35% of PV modules produced in 2014. Yet still, the technology with the most powerful share earnings will come from the state-of-the-art p-type multi segment that include double screen-printing, selective emitters, rear-surface passivation and ion-implanting. This sector will develop from 23.8% to 27.2% in 2014.

Although the share of these potent p-type mono and n-type arrays will reduce from 29.6% to 29.3 in 2014, the production will increase with 2.8 GW in 2014, a growth in correspondence with the developing industry. The leading Chinese c-Si suppliers will increase production of p-type multi c-Si products will also increase production.

Leading Chinese c-Si suppliers will continue to increase production of p-type multi c-Si products during 2014 as the fastest route to restoring operating margins to pre-2012 levels. “This tactic is complemented by a highly cautious approach to transitioning next-generation technologies from the research lab to mass production. This dual strategy will continue to be the major barrier to any common technology roadmap being implemented within the solar PV industry over the next two to three years,” their report declared.

The president of China Solar was arrested in China

China Solar chairman arrested

China Solar’s president along with other two company leaders, as well as the president’s son were jailed by the Dali authotities from August 26. The three are beeing questioned for false reporting of registered capital for two subsidiaries.

Maybe the most interesting matter of the arrested chairman of China’s Solar is the following statement: “The board confirms that the company is not able to contact the relevant directors since around August 2013,” as, surprisingly, a company report shows.

The directors in question are chairman Yeung Ngo, his son – and executive director – Yang Yuchun and non-executive director Hao Guojun arrested in the People’s Republic on August 26.

The three learders were jailed by the Public Security Bureau of Dali under the conjecture of misleading reporting of registered capital related to two China Solar subsidiaries.

The Dali subsidiary of China solar was settled in January 2008 and has paid over none of the registered capital of US$49,460,000 which was due to be paid by January 24, 2009.

The Hong Kong stock exchange was confirmed that five-and-a-half-year-old subsidiary is not running at the moment and all the company’s belongings are blocked, as China solar board announced them.

Another sub subsidiary of the Bermuda-registered China Solar, the Changzhou unit, has had it’s bussiness registration abolished by the Changzhou Administration for Industry and Commerce, meaning only $19,358,000 of the $99,980,000 registered capital of the unit, was paid and another $80 million were due since June 23, 2010.

Both subsidiaries could lead to the abolishment of the business licences and could be sentenced with penalties.

The China Power board announced that the subsidary is not working and the production plant is going to be relocated.

At the moment the trio has bee suspended from duties until the results of the investigations are through.

A new research center for solar energy was launched in Wales with a EUR 7 million investment

Solar research center chaired by Prof. Durrant

New PV research center built in Wales

Financed by the Welsh government Swansea University has inaugurated the Ser Solar Initiative at Baglan Energy Park, lead by Professor James Durrant.

In Swansea was built brand new solar energy research center worth €7 million or $10.5 million. The center is located at the Baglan Energy Park in Swansea and was constructed by local higher education establishment, Swansea University.

The Ser Solar initiative, as the research center is named, was supported financially by the Welsh government and has been inaugurated this week by Welsh Government economy minister Edwina Hart. The center will be lead by one of the most honored research scients, Professor James Durrant of Imperial College London

“I am very pleased to welcome Professor Durrant to Wales and Swansea University, where his experience and knowledge will help to create a world-class research team in the field of solar energy,” in Hart’s words.

“The Ser Cymru programme is helping us deliver our commitment to developing science and innovation in Wales, which is an important driver in economic growth.”

“This research in the field of low carbon energy will also help us meet our commitments to reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change.”

When asked about the competitions with China Prof. Durrant replied honestly that it wouldn’t make sense to compete with China in domains as PV production and solar cell manufacturing, and highlighted the fact that for countries such as the U.K. would be best if they concentrated on research and development.

“We have to realize that the current solar market is dominated by cells made in China,” he said.

“These cells are efficient, stable and not that expensive. Therefore, if the U.K. is going to be part of the manufacturing of new solar technology there is no point trying to compete with China at what they are good at.

“We have to build on what we are good at, which is innovation, and develop technologies that are not just cheaper and more stable but things that are fundamentally different to the current technologies.”

The professor applauded the commitment of the Welsh government and its purpose to accelerate the de-carbonization process of Wales and the U.K.
Professor Richard B. Davies, Swansea University’s vice chancellor, says: “The Ser Solar initiative is brave and bold, but I really believe it is going to develop big time for Wales. “It is very much based on building strengths. We know we cannot create world-leading excellence over night” he added.

The center will collaborate with the Imperial College London and local scientists, Bangor University working in close collaboration with Swansea University in order to study the solar progress.

CG is going to embrace a complete presence in Dubai

CG will comercialize electrical products for the Middle east and Africa

A new regional office opened in Dubai

CG , the previous Pauwels and Crompton Greaves unit of Avantha Group, will comercialize electrical products and solutions in the Middle East and Africa.

Avantha Group Company CG has launched a fully-fledged office in the free trade zone of Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO).

The new regional office will promote and distribute the full CG contribution for the future costumers.

The office also enjoys a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and a tier 3 data centre and will supply utilities, oil and gas, power, metals and mining, industrial and original equipment manufacturers.

CG, previously known as Pauwels and Crompton Greaves, was giving its service for the Middle East for more than a quarter of century. Moreover, the newly installed office has got a fully-supported multi business platform.

After the finalization of the project the customers in the region could benefit from a lot of things they couldn’t before, things such as CG’s experts in motors and drives, T&D equipment, automation and services. This regions only is a big potential market for CG that values approximately $10 billion.

About the inauguration, Mr. Laurent Demortier, Avantha Group Company CG’s CEO and managing director reported: “I thank all our customers from Africa and Middle East who joined us for the event. This office is another step in our effort to promote our portfolio in the region and has put us at the heart of two of the fastest growing regions – Africa and Middle East.”

The second biggest manufacturer in China is to launch new inversters

Zeversolar to launch new Pv inverter

The Chinese from Zeversolar reported a cooperation with Proinso at the Solar Energy UK.

The second biggest PV inverter manufacturer from China, Zeversolar, is now associated with a leading global distributor of solar equipment, Proinso, for the introduction of new inverters to selected global markets. This announcement was made at the Solar Energy exhibition that took place in Solar Energy exhibition in the 8th of October this year. There was where Zeversolar brought to light its latest portfolio.

So, starting this month Prosino will deliver Zeversolar’s inverter-line. Prosino is known as a global distributor being popular in 15 countries. This firm has distributed next to 1.4GW until now and employed has 2407 Qualified Installers worldwide.

Zeversolar comes in with a wide variety of superefficient string-inverters for solar energy systems that already got certified in the UK, i.e. single phase inverters with a nominal input power ranging from 1,5 KWp to 5 KWp and three phase inverters with nominal ranging from 4 KWp to 20 KWp. These inverters have a 96% European efficiency and nominal output power reaching up to 1,5 KWp – 20KWp. Because of all these, they are an excellent choice both for commercial and for domestic purposes. Regardless of their power, all the inverts have either the G83, or the G59/2 certificate.

“With Proinso we have found a reliable partner, who maintains a well established customer network in UK as well as in other international markets, such as Australia and India. Our portfolio represents an excellent mix of quality, liability and budget price point. We are looking forward to meet visitors in Birmingham to show them the updated product line and its possibilities for the UK market,” said the Executive Vice President for Sales, Service and Marketing at Zeversolar, Sven Schreiber.

This was confirmed by the head of Prosino, Mark Randall “with Zeversolar we found a well established inverter manufacturer from China. Proinso has always been extremely careful in selecting inverter partners and with Zeversolar we have found a supplier, who complements our very high profile inverter portfolio, with inverters addressing the budget segment in major markets.”

The Indian government plans to build the biggest power plant in the world

India to built the biggest power plant in the world

4 GW of solar capacity is to be built as part of the world’s biggest power plant in the world. The plant will be situated in India, in the Rajasthan province to be precise. This announcement was made by the Indian government and the project has a long timeline.

This should be taken as a sign that the Indian government wants solar to be the source of energy needed for generating the electricity that the population needs. The initial plans for a 4 GW project were announced on Friday.

Still during the time the the staggering scale of the project will attract the attention of the Indian PV industry, its achievement is going to be a long term deal. Only the first stage of the project will be finished in 2016, as it is reported by the Indian government’s press information bureau.

The Rajasthan province, is the one in which the project will be situated. Ths means the construction will be located at , approximately 75 km away from the city of Jaipur. The minister of heavy industries and public enterprises, Praful Patel was the one who initiated the process to develop the vast project and has pointed to a 23,000 acre piece of land in the region. The project is named Sambhar Ultra-Mega Green Solar Power Project.

A joint venture company wil be the one who will proceed with the development of the phase of the project, having the equity from various partners as well as the Solar Energy Corporation of India and Power Grid Corporation of India.

The government statement suggests that India is willing to set a global example with the great project. “Being the first project of this scale anywhere in the world this project is expected to set a trend for large scale solar power development in the world,” today’s statement reports.