Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

While declining sales of solar panels in Japan eroded the electronics giant’s earnings, Panasonic is holding on for growth driven by its collaboration with Tesla.

Amid a flurry of speculation after its German parent company SolarWorld AG, the U.S. arm of the crystalline silicon PV manufacturer released a statement reassuring the market and its employees that it continues to operate at full strength.

The Bonn court has confirmed to pv magazine that Horst Piepenburg was named temporary administrator for SolarWorld. The company’s German subsidiaries have also filed for insolvency.

The U.S./Dutch tool maker also saw order intake and quarter-end backlog increase in the latest quarter. All of the company’s segments contributed to the turnover growth registered in this period.

The Minnesota-based solar company gave scant details, but denied claims that its winding down was due to faulty third-party hardware.

Today, SolarWorld AG filed for insolvency in Germany, and it is unclear whether or not its U.S. subsidiary will also file. In the following interview, Mercom Capital CEO Raj Prabhu talks about what this means for the U.S. solar industry.

Pioneering solar manufacturer SolarWorld AG is insolvent. It is unclear whether the company’s U.S. subsidiary must now file as well.

The high-efficiency solar manufacturer is still bleeding red ink, as it begins shipping its lower-cost P-Series modules and continues its restructuring.

The electronics giant now has the longest workmanship warranty in the industry for its HIT high-efficiency photovoltaic module, which should reassure investors that the panels are worthy of a long-term investment.

The first full quarter since Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity shows a 30% fall in watts of solar deployed, as the company focuses on preparations for the roll-out of its Solar Roof and Model 3 electric vehicle, including expanded battery production.