The first Solar Power Mexico exhibition was a success, despite being held just weeks after the Mexican government announced the cancellation of its fourth long-term energy auction for renewables, along with general policy-related uncertainty for clean energy.

The Korean/German solar manufacturer has filed patent infringement lawsuits against the three companies in the United States, and is seeking to bar them from importing solar products for the U.S. market. Hanwha Q Cells claims its three rivals have used its patented solar cell passivation technology to increase the performance of their products.

The U.S. wafer maker and the Korean module manufacturer expect to ramp the Malaysian factory no later than September. The fab is next to Hanwha’s existing cell and module facilities and 1366 Technologies plans to produce its Direct Wafers on a gigawatt scale for less than $0.20 per piece.

The editor-in-chief of pv magazine Mexico won first prize in the interview category at this year’s Solar Energy Journalism Awards, organized by the Mexican Solar Energy Association.

That would mean a market increase of around 25% on this year. Demand is predicted to become particularly strong in the second half of the year, with renewed market growth coming from India and the USA.

The French Environment & Energy Management Agency has published a report in which analyzes the dynamics of lithium supply and demand in different scenarios of global electrification by 2050. The agency experts are convinced that only with a 75% penetration of electric vehicles there is the real risk of a marked decrease in the safety margin of lithium supply.

The recent growth of the Mexican PV market, as well as the positive outcomes the country’s energy reform has achieved, is being complimented by the launch of a new trade fair dedicated primarily to the Mexican PV sector.

According to a Q3 report by EnergyTrend, monocrystalline module prices have fallen almost 20% this year, while those for polycrystalline modules have dropped by more than 25%. Increased consolidation among manufacturers and developers is expected to occur in China, and the global solar market, with more merger deals, plans for capacity reductions, and even factory closures.

The Chinese-Canadian module manufacturer says its P4-based BiHiKu panel, for large commercial and utility-scale solar projects, is able to provide up to 30 per cent additional output from the rear side.

The microinverter maker is shifting production to Mexico to avoid the pending Section 301 tariffs on inverters and other products from China.