Members of congress warn of REC Silicon plant closure
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.
25% tariffs on Chinese inverters to start on January 1
The final order from the U.S. Trade Representative includes an interim tariff rate of 10% set to start on September 24.
Flex to manufacture Enphase products in Mexico
The microinverter maker is shifting production to Mexico to avoid the pending Section 301 tariffs on inverters and other products from China.
Battery materials producer Livent Corp. goes public
The lithium supplier is banking on both its substantial history and new developments in the rapidly growing the electric vehicle market.
China files WTO trade complaints against the United States
China has officially filed two complaints with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the United States, in response to its 30% Section 201 and 25% Section 301 tariffs.
Researchers propose doubling today’s solar panel efficiency using two weird tricks
By double stacking a perovskite-silicon solar cell and using the cell in a glass-on-glass bifacial solar module, scientists model that a 30-36% efficient solar module can be attained.
Battery materials market to grow 9% through 2022
A report by Technavio suggests the global market for battery materials could grow 9% annually for the next four years. Analysts point to the increasing installation of storage systems with PV as a key driver. pv magazine has covered previous reports predicting significant growth in PV and storage systems.
China to file WTO complaint over Section 201 duties
China’s Ministry of Commerce is arguing that the 30% import duties on solar products from China and other nations do not comply with WTO rules. The Chinese government added that its solar industry could be seriously damaged.
United States confirms additional 25% tariffs on Chinese cells, modules
While the tariffs make importing solar from China even more impractical, they are unlikely to have a significant impact on trade flows or the U.S. market.
Inverter makers plan alternatives to avoid potential 25% tariffs
Several inverter makers could be hit by the Trump Administration’s move to increase tariffs on imports including inverters from China, but many are already shifting manufacturing to other locations.
