Manufacturing

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.

pv magazine walked the floor at SPI 2018 seeing many well known faces, and known products, plus new names bringing new ideas.

SmarTrack by Array Technologies, looks to optimize solar electricity production using machine learning algorithms in complex terrains.

Esdec has launched FlatFix, its commercial flat-roof product, into the U.S. marketplace with a goal of minimizing installation parts and labor.

The high-efficiency PV maker has closed on SolarWorld’s Oregon factory, which will transition from SolarWorld products to SunPower’s P-type shingled modules.

As the module level rapid shutdown requirements for rooftop solar come into play for 2019, multiple inverter manufacturers are moving forward with solutions.

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.

ARPE-E has chosen ten projects as part of its DAYS energy storage program aiming for 10 to 100 hours of energy storage at affordable fixed costs per cycle.

A group of senators and representatives from Washington and Montana led by the top democrat on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee are calling on President Trump to negotiate with China and save REC’s Moses Lake facility.

NREL has chosen five companies to help administer the America-Made Solar Prize, a program whose stated goal is to develop U.S.-based solar manufacturing. These five companies receive contracts of $100,000 each for their services.