EGEB: Solar conferences are cool, Turkey leads EU solar, Canada suing Trump’s Tariff, more

Electrek Green Energy Brief: A daily technical, financial, and political review/analysis of important green energy news. Featured Image Source.

The ‘PV Celltech 2018‘ conference in Malaysia is coming up. The program topics themselves (PDF) are enough to give me pause and think about perspectives at this stage of a growing industry. Topics – 1. Cell technology trends impacting the 100GW+ landscape; 2. Why P-Type Multi continues to dominate solar cell manufacturing; 3. Production equipment and materials for advanced cell architectures; 4. N-Type solar cell mass production at the GW stage; 5. Mono Wafer supply at the 50GW+ level; and more. The industry is grappling with continued growth at amazing rates, while also evolving its technological base. There are multiple dimensions of intertwined evolution – a global dance of machines and business and people.

With Turkey Leading Europe In New PV Installations, Europe Improved PV Installation Activity By 28% YoY In 2017 – Recent economic news suggested that there was growth in all global regions in the last year. This was a relatively unique position for the world as someone’s always having a recession of sorts. That could also happen in solar – and what a year that would be? Right now, the USA is in a bit of a lull – but China is pushing everyone hard, and India is about to join the big stage. PV Celltech people are talking 100GW+ in 2018…150GW in 2021?

Canadian solar companies sue Trump over tariffs – In their lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the United States Court of International Trade, the three companies say that since Canadian solar imports do not harm United States producers, the tariffs violate the Trade Act and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The companies bringing the lawsuit are Silfab Solar Inc., Heliene Inc. and Canada Solar Solutions Inc. This lawsuit is different from the others as I think those lawsuits have been relative to World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements.

Solitek to expand cell and module capacity – At its Vilnius factory, which was built in 2013, Solitek currently produces Poly C-Si and Mono C-Si glass-glass modules both for regular and BIPV applications. Modules produced at the facility range in power from 270W to 345W. The Lithuania-based manufacturer aims at increasing cell capacity at its factory in Vilnius from 80 MW to 180 MW, and to open a new 60 MW module assembly factory in Ukraine. I found their high efficiency residential solar panel – 300W solar panel. They’ve got a great warranty. Their name has been around for a while.

Tweet below – I hear much more often that mono-si prices are going down, versus the opposite. The current 2.3¢/W difference turns into $7/panel and $126/installation on average. Higher efficiency creeping in via price competition.

Polysilicon Prices Remain High Despite Substantial Price Reduction of Mono-Si Wafershttps://t.co/IaByjA2Y84

— InfoLink Consulting (@InfoLinkConsult) February 8, 2018

Featured image is from the Department of Energy SunShot program. Sunlight heats molton salt that flows through a 640 foot receiver tower to over 1,000 degrees, causing the top to glow white hot. Solar Reserve’s Crescent Dunes facility in Tonopah, NV. Photo by Ivan Boden.

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