Market News – Page 14 – Solar Magazine

ABB, granted by the EC to buy Power-One

ABB has its path paved into growth by the approval of the European Commission by buying the U.S. inverter producer Power-One; it is mentionable that the $1 billion auction took place without any struggle in the sale of the California-based inverter producer.

The lack of competition was present “given the limited to moderate combined market shares and the small increments resulting from the merger” declared by the Commission.

The purchase of Power-One was announced in April by ABB, the Swiss colossal engineering company, and is to solidify its position as the top global dealer of solar inverters.

Nevertheless, the EC specified that a few tough adversaries still stay in the afflicted markets for solar energy converters and consumers still have alternate solutions in buying the products.

It appears that ABB is about to set expansion in the PV industry after last’s month gathering with the chief executive designate Ulrich Spiesshofer, taking the place of Joe Hogan, former CEO, in September. ABB will expand in the sector if it makes strategic sense.

Inverters represent the brain of PV systems, offering minimal chance that these devices will become a cheap mass of produced goods, declared Maxine Ghavi, the head of ABB’s solar business. The purchase of Power-One provided “access to the entire market, from private homes and commercial buildings to power plants”, she added. She expects the PV trade industry is about to expand more than 10% in the upcoming years.

ABB also revealed plans to extend inverter production in India and South Africa in addition to the preexisting plants in China and Estonia.

Roxana Moraru

MITHRIL gmbH has been advised by HFG China and Deutsche Mittelstandsfinanz to go on with the transaction of Global Solar Energy to Hanergy

Advice has been offered by HFG China and Deutsche Mittelstandsfinanz to Mithril GmbH, a German family business, who represents 100% of the shares in the selling of Gloal Solar Energy, Inc .to Hanergy.

Since its foundation in 1996, Global Solar has always been a pioneer in the PV production. This is the world leading manufacturing company in extensive construction of CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide) with the light-weight, highly effective renewable energy products that reside with flexible cells, arrays, and integrated shingles. These arrays are laid out for crucial parts of the high-end, high-growth malleable PV trade, especially when glass array systems are inadequate because of their weight constraints and the necessities for flexibility. GS (Global Solar) changes the traditional glass array products, designing integrated PV (BIPV) roof systems. The thin film production within the facility of the company is 40 MW annually.

Being the world’s top thin-film PV company, Hanergy Holding Group Ltd. is a global clean-energy power producer. Hanergy employs in the unification of the entire PV industry chain, and to withhold R&D, top quality equipment construction, PV array manufacturing and de the development of PV power plants.

After the development of GS into a mass extent manufacture company, it raises the need for a large international strategic associate in order to market their one of a kind technology. By purchasing Global Solar, Hanergy is increasing its competence and service offering in the thin film section, which represents an important goal in the growth strategy.

HFG China and Deutsche Mittelstandsfinanz are glad to empower the transaction with the restructuring expert Johann Stohner of Alvarez & Marsal and Chris LeWand of FTI Capital Advisors. The two companies represented joint financial advisors to Mithril GmbH.

Roxana Moraru

Renewable energy use rises in Germany

Lessened FIT, feed-in tariffs, high wattage potential and the increasing opportunities of energy deposit define renewable energy systems and make it a more appealing choice for German solar manufacturers. Solar power is being used by an increasing number of households and they utilize personalized plant designation, energy administration and cache.

Consumers of solar energy are more and more implicated in the consumption of high proportions of renewable solar electricity. A growth in electricity costs plus the lowering of prices in photovoltaic systems and the reducing of flaws in solar power have made these systems a fashion.

A new analysis made by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) displays the fact that the interest of self-generating users has increased among entrepreneurs and households.

Carsten Körnig, CEO of BSW-Solar declared “Private electricity prices are now almost twice as high as the cost of self-generated solar electricity from the roof of a house.” The survey also displays that installers are facing more and more necessities. “The planning is challenging and advising potential investors is more complex,” said Körnig. Four out of five installers report expanded effort and time for the marketing of PV systems.

The production of solar electricity with its costs and feed-in tariffs as low as €0.15/ kilowatt hour and the fact that electricity rates €0.27/ kilowatt hour, if now higher, renewable energy has become a quite more appealing option instead of grid-based production.

This fashion is also noticeable among an increasing number of entrepreneurs, who are cutting down their electricity bills by the use of company-owned PV systems.

Such entrepreneurs with proper roof surfaces can usually reach greater consumption rates even if they don’t have the ability to store the energy, declared BSW-Solar. Companies that are based on solar energy production and have a higher base capacity in daytime can widely cover their power utilization through the energy output of their PV systems.

Roxana Moraru

Solar market is estimated to value $134 billion until 2020

Annual income gathered from PV installations is to overcome $134 billion in the next seven years. Moreover, solar will not net supporstarting from 2017, as Navigant Research report announces.

Navigant Research, a market analyst, forecasted the annual revenues from PV installations worldwide will top US$134 billion by 2020.

438 of modules and installments from around the world will be gathered in the upcoming seven years, as the company’s Solar PV Market Forecasts shows. This report also predicts government alternative energy installation targets will rise in the close future.

Navigant Research also forecasted that the time when solar energy can face conventional energy has finally arrived. They say that by 2017, a year after the tax credit for solar investment in th U.S will drop by 10% is probably the period when all this will take palce.

It is also forecasted that solar can and will be competitive with conventional electricity almost around the world by 2020.

Roxana Moraru

Negotiations are continuing in regard with import taxes between China and EU

Thorough bargaining continue to take place between the EU and China in the discussion of the PV market. Chinese Minister

Gao Hugheng and the EU trade commissioner Karel De Guchy will confront each other on this concern by the end of the week, being said that it will consist in long telephone conversation between the two. Additonaly, a compromise was offered to China by the EU, EU awaits a response.

The member states of the EU are to be aknowledged by the European Commission in the negotiation-related matters by the end of the week. China was seemingly given concessions by the EC, as reported earlier this week by the German news agency DPA.

An import tax cut was proposed by the EU for crystalline substrates, cells and arrays by 15%, but the reduction is not known on which base. Although it is said that the EU made a minimum import value proposal of €0.65 per watt for Chinese arrays, given to us by well informed sources, China had a proposal of the minimum price of €0.50 per watt on imported arrays.

Import duties on Chinese crystalline substrate,cells and arrays will rise from 11.8% to an average of 47.6% if no compromise is achieved by Aug. 5.

Jochen Endle, spokesman of Hanwha Q CELLS Germany tells us that some 200 MW of high-efficiency cells and 120 MW of high-efficiency modules are currently produced in Thalheim annually. The cells are mainly used in the company’s own arrays. In Malaysia, the company produces 900 MW of standard cells, some of which are exported to Europe.

Roxana Moraru

Another 100 MW of solar is reqested by Long Island Power Authority

The projects to be built in Long Island must be 100 kW to 2 MW. This comes after the first initiaive of 100 kW to 2 MW, wich encountered a lot of succes.

The purpose of Long Island Power Authority is to reach another 100 MW in distributed solar generation with the help of its Clean Solar Initiative II. There are a couple of main areas in the Long Island grid.

After the successful energy sell for bidders through Lipa through a 20-year PPA, the Clean Solar Initiative II (CSI-II) decided to help out the interested parts in 100 kW to 2 MW sized schemes to bid against each other over the price they can offer green energy.

A premuim of US$0.07/kWh (€0.05/kWh) will be on the market in a bid focus generation on specially selected areas east of LIPA’s Canal substation in Southampton. If this turns out to be a succes, distributed generation will turn down the need for electrcity generation, infrastructure and distribution investment in the overcrowded area of the Long Island grid.

LIPA also announced the plans for another two renewable energy projects till the end of the year.

Roxana Moraru

Standards for large scale solar are to be prepared by the UK government

The concern of loosing agricultural land may not be put apart by commitments to sustainability. The problems may be determined by incentives that can not stir rooftop and mid-size schemes.

The irresponsible installers from the UK are causing problems for large scale solar farms that are supported by the UK government who wants to introduce guidelines to increase their development.

A debate regarding the details was organized by Sarah Wollaston. The worries about visual impact of large scale solar farms, named hard-pressed farmers try to diversify their businesses, were summarized by Wollaston. Those who do not support solar farms also pointed out the loss of agricultural land.

Solar Trade Association, the UK trade body, is choosing 10 commitments responsible planning and development of solar farms but the UK government is planning further restrictions.

According to the STA, the problem seems to be a solar policy that doesn’t reward enough the mid-size installations.

“We’d all like to see more roof-mounted, community and mid-sized schemes and that came over loud and clear in the (parliamentary) debate. But the fact is the UK FIT scheme is failing these important applications. If that’s what the minister and MPs want to see – and they say they do – that situation must now also be addressed”, in term of Leonie Greene, STA’s head of external communications.

Roxana Moraru

China does not apply any punishment for importing polysilicon from the EU

It was told once more by the german Economics Ministry that no vindictive duties shall be given by China due to conflicting imports from the EU. Thursday the statements were backed up by the Ministry of Economics, no increase in punitive tariffs is to be made in regard with import of polysilicon.

The Economics spokesperson Stefan Rouenhoff declared: “To our knowledge, there will be no Chinese punitive tariffs on European polysilicon imports to China, Negotiations between the EU and China regarding the EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases against solar panels from China are continuing. The aim of the Federal Ministry of Economy is to continue to contribute to an amicable solution between the EU and China.”

Beijing had not made any obligation to dictate anti-dumping punishment on the polysilicon line from the EU. This remains to be given by an unknown source related to China’s Ministry of Commerce giving a feedback on the polysilicon factor between Chinese minister of commerce Gao Hucheng and German economics minister Philipp Rösler.

Further bargains are taken by a Chinese delegation in Brussels this week on the EU’s anti-dumping fees in Chinese PV imports after a 3 week delegation made by EU in Beijing. Negotiations continue, said Helen Banner, the spokesperson of EU trade agent Karel De Gucht.
The EU Agency aproved a phased admittance in June in which anti-dumping fees are to be raised 11.8% on Chinese imports, even though a sound confronting was given by a large number of EU member states.

For months, authoritative taxes were taken into consideration regarding polysilicon imports from the EU by China, the Ministry of Commerce started an investigation in the imports of European polysilicon in the end of the last year in a short while after EU Commison began its investigation into the claimed anti-dumping procedures by Chinese producers.

Roxana Moraru

Berlin-Beijing’s argue about polysilicon is to be resolved

China denied punitive tariffs on EU polysilicon imports as a sign of conciliation with Germany.

The German Federal Ministry of Economics approved a report by German financial daily Handelsblatt that shows that German economics minister Philipp Rösler and Chinese minister of commerce Gao Hucheng came to an understanding regarding polysilicon imports.

In spite of the fact the everyone expected another move from China, for instance to deny European polysilicon imports, the two countries reached a settlement. This could be a first step up regarding a resolution of the trade dispute that grew in Europe’s PV industry.

In this year’s June, the European Commission, imposed anti-dumping tariffs of 11.8% on Chinese PV imports to Europe even though a large amount of EU states din not agree and neither did the European PV industry.

China has been thinking about imposing EU and U.S duties on polysilicon as well, but the new settlement shows that China has reached out towards Germany, Europe’s biggest polysilicon producer, which would have had a lot to suffer from the tariffs.
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Roxana Moraru

The destiny of PV is in China and Japan’s hands

45% of the world’s request for solar power is said to come from the double Asian marketsin the remaining of this year, as consultants predict. A record of over 45 GW is forecasted for 2013.

NPD Solarbuzz, a solar consultant, announced that the world overreliance by the PV industry on China and Japan will go up in the rest of 2013

The last report is predicting that the two Asian countries will be responsible for over 45% of global solar demand until 2014, with a record of 35 GW.

As Solarbuzz estimates Japan’s, China’s, Germany’s and U.S.A.’s requests for PV reached over 60% of the global demand.

Solarbuzz also points out the fact that PV market will rely on the two countries is not necessarily a good thing as Europe is set to supply less than 30% of PV request this year as opposed to 50% of the second half of 2013.

45 % of the 15 GW demand until now was for large scale utility and commercial ground mount, 20 % for residential rooftop and 35% was for non-residential rooftop and off-grid.

Roxana Moraru